


Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate

by BluestheCriminalWhirlwind



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Confident routes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Extra Phantom Thieves, F/F, F/M, Found Family, Kamoshida is very bad, M/M, Mentions of Female Persona 3 Protag, Multi, New Game Plus Challenge, Persona 3 References, Persona 3 Spoilers, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5 Strikers: The Phantom Strikers Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Romance, Suicide Attempt, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 08:35:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 64,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29623554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluestheCriminalWhirlwind/pseuds/BluestheCriminalWhirlwind
Summary: Ren was killed by the traitor after the end of Sae's interrogation but when he dies, Ren suddenly finds himself waking up on the train to Shibuya, at the very start of his journey.Given a second chance at changing fate, Ren begins his adventure again but little did he know, new challenges and new characters will take the stage alongside him and his friends in this re-telling of Persona 5, Persona 5: The Royal, and Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers!Also has a TV-Tropes Page! Check it out and add to it! https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PersonaVReversingTheWheelOfFate
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren (Implied One-sided), Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto/Suzui Shiho, Amamiya Ren/Suzui Shiho, Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Sumire (Past), Hasegawa Akane/Morgana (Persona Series), Hasegawa Zenkichi/Kawakami Sadayo, Makigami Naoya/Kitagawa Yusuke, Mifune Chihaya/Mishima Yuuki, Niijima Sae/Takemi Tae, Okumura Haru/Togo Hifumi, Sakamoto Ryuji/Takamaki Ann, Sakura Futaba/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Sakura Sojiro/Ohya Ichiko, Shiomi Kotone/Aigis (Strongly Implied), Sophia (Persona Series)/Lavenza (Persona Series)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 65





	1. New Life+

**[Opening Scene - Interrogation Room (Nighttime)  
Theme of Failure:Mementos Depths from Persona 5]**

"It was thanks to you that our plan succeeded," Akechi said with a cruel expression on his face. Ren glanced up at his crazed brown eyes and sneered, the cloudiness of his mind slowly clearing.

He remembered what he was supposed to do now. He was supposed to get Sae to trust him. To stop Goro and whatever his insidious plot was but in his drugged state, he had failed.

And now, he was face to face in front of his murderer.

"You were irreplaceable for our plan Ren," Goro said as he caressed Ren's jaw with his gun. "But our time is at an end, Ren…On some level, I will miss our daily chats," the traitor said with a hint of sadness.

"The others…They will stop you," Ren hissed out, the barrel of Goro's gun pressing against his forehead.

"The others will be lost without you. We both know that," Akechi replied mockingly.

Ren's eyes widened.

That couldn't be true. The Phantom Thieves would be able to stop Goro without him.

Right?

The traitor's eyes briefly widened in surprise before he smirked.

He then leaned close and whispered into Ren's ear, "You just realized this? You were the glue that kept them together. Without you, all of them will fall. And because of you, they will die, wondering where their leader is to save them."

Ren took a sharp intake of air, the images of Ryuji, Haru, Makoto, Futaba, Ann, Yusuke, and Morgana appearing in his mind, along with all of the friends he had met along the way, slowly fading away.

"…But that is what happens when you face off against true justice…Case Closed," Goro whispered, and with those words, Goro pulled the trigger.

And everything went black.  


* * *

**[Scene Change: Unknown Tunnel  
Theme of the End: The Path was Closed from Persona 3]**

_Ren was all alone in the dark._

_His clothes were looking nice and neat, and his face, showing no damage from the gunshot wound he had taken._

_The crushing realization that he had just died suddenly crashed onto his shoulders, and he let out a scream._

_Ren let out a scream full of anguish at the turn of events that had just occurred. He punched the ground, he swore, he sobbed._

_His friends…_

_He would never see them again…_

_His daily jogs and Bro-dates with Ryuji: Gone._

_Planting with Haru: Gone._

_Helping Makoto with running the Student Council: Gone._

_Inspiring Yusuke's Art: Gone._

_Going on modeling shoots with Ann: Gone._

_Sleeping and joking around with Morgana: Gone._

_And it was all his fault!_

_But then, a bright light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Ren_

_Ren then found himself standing in a brick tunnel with a bright light in front of him. It was so warm and welcoming to him._

_Drawn by the warmth of the light, Ren began to walk, the previous worries about his friends melting away from his mind the closer he got to the light._

_But then, a voice spoke out._

_"Please…d…don't g-give…"_

_Ren turned around and saw that familiar butterfly at the other side of the tunnel._

_That butterfly…_

_He had seen it several times before, but it always looked radiant to him._

_But now, something had changed._

_The butterfly's usual glow was flickering on and off, and instead of cobalt blue, it's a pale gray._

_It was as if the butterfly was dying…_

_Without thinking twice, Ren towards the butterfly just as it began to fall to the ground, catching it before it could land, and lifted it to his face._

_"D-Don't give up…The w-world…needs you, my trickster…" the faint, feminine voice told him._

_"But there isn't anything I can do," Ren whispered. "I failed and was killed by that traitorous detective."_

_"Do not give up hope…Y-You can do it, my trickster…" the voice said. "All y-you must do is believe in the justice that burns in your h-heart…"_

_Ren stayed silent._

_Justice…_

_That word seemed to follow him._

_From his shouts of "Where is the justice in this?!" during his court hearing to Akechi's final words to him, Justice was heavily engraved within his soul._

_It was the thing that bound him and his friends together._

_It was the thing he had always been fighting for._

_A determined smirk appeared on Ren's face. "As if I could forget it," Ren said, sounding more confident to himself than he was with the traitor._

_The butterfly began to shine bright in his hands as a voice said, "This is your final chance to change y-your fate…P-Please win this g-game with t-the justice you hold so c-close to your heart…d-dear…Trickster…"_

* * *

**[Scene Change - Train (Daytime)  
Theme of a New Start:Break-In To Break Out from Persona 5: The Animation]**

Ren's eyes snapped open as he took a sharp breath.

'W-What was that?' Ren thought to himself as he looked up in confusion.

"We will soon arrive at Shibuya, Shibuya. This is the last stop," a male voice said through the speakers in the train. 'Please transfer at this station if you would like to use the subway lines.'

That was right.

He was on a train.

'What a strange dream…' The teen thought as he looked around.

"Oh? They went insane or something?" A female student said a few feet away from the confused male.

"Of course, it's true!" The female friend's voice said with a scandalous tone.

'Why does all of this seem familiar?' Ren thought curiously.

"You mean someone goes crazy all of a sudden? You're kidding me, aren't you? You're really obsessed with those weird topics…" The first female said with a laugh.

The teen shook his head and said, "I must be imagining things."

It didn't matter.

He should be focusing on other things like getting his life back after it was stolen from him. All he had to do was meet this Sakura Sojiro character, go to school and keep his head down.

The sooner he could do that, the sooner he could get his life back.

Ren sighed as he looked out the window and muttered, "Welcome to your new life, Ren."


	2. Welcome to Shujin, Amamiya Ren!

**[Opening Scene – Café LeBlanc (Nighttime)  
Theme of Bitterness: Confession, Secret (Piano Ver.) From Persona 5]**

_' How annoying,'_ Ren bitterly thought as he swept up the floor of his new room. His meeting with Sakura Sojiro went less than stellar.

This man was his guardian for an entire year, and he started it all by pissing the guy off.

 _'Though that doesn't seem so hard to do in retrospect,'_ Ren thought wryly. He should have just kept his mouth shut instead of instantly hiding in his smartass mask and angering the guy.

Then again, if he had kept his mouth shut in the first place, he wouldn't have been in this situation.

_"Please! Someone help me!"_

_"Damn brat, I'll sue!"_

Ren shut his right eye and held the left side of his head as that voice pounded against his skull. God, what did he do to deserve this fate? She was in danger, he helped her, and as thanks, he was framed.

 _' I guess the old saying is true. No good deed goes unpunished,'_ Ren thought with a bitter scowl.

Thanks to this incident, his parents, friends, and girlfriend outright abandoned him when they found out about the incident, and now he was stuck in this vast, uncaring city, going to a new school.

That meant joining the same clubs he was well known in back at his school and catching up on anything he missed during his time out of school. _' Then again, maybe I should just keep my head down and stay unnoticed for the year,'_ Ren thought to himself. _'I don't need anyone to know who I am. That will only cause trouble in the long run.'_

Ren then paused his sweeping and said out loud, "Or maybe I should stop overthinking things and just go with the flow. It's a new place, and no one here knows what I did, student-wise as least. I shouldn't have to stop enjoying my hobbies because of it."

"Hey, kid," a voice said from behind him.

Ren turned around to see his new caretaker standing in the doorway of the attic with a begrudging look on his face. "Hey, I just came up here to see how you're doing," Sojiro said, giving the room a brief look around.

"I'm doing ok Sakura-san," Ren said.

"Sojiro is fine," Sojiro replied. "Look, I came up here to apologize. I shouldn't have snapped the way I did. I know this is tough on you. Coming to a new city, building a new life with this hanging over your head."

"No, I'm sorry, Sojiro-san," Ren said. "I shouldn't have been such a smartass to you down there. I'll try to stay on your good side."

Sojiro nodded and said, "Very good. Ah, I see you've straightened this place up. It looks better."

"Thanks," Ren said with a polite smile.

"I came up here to tell you that I'll be taking you to school tomorrow morning at nine to meet with the principal and your teacher, so make sure you get some rest," Sojiro said.

Ren nodded.

"I'm closing up shop downstairs. You can do whatever you like. But if anything comes missing, I won't hesitate to contact the police myself," Sojiro warned. Just then, Sojiro's phone began to ring, and he quickly excused himself, leaving Ren alone.

"Goodnight to you too…" Ren sighed out before he continued to clean. After another hour of cleaning, Ren decided to call it a night and went to sleep.

* * *

_**[Scene Change – Interrogation Room (Nighttime)  
Theme of Tension: Interrogation Room from Persona 5]** _

_"A high school student…The leader of the Phantom thieves. I almost feel insulted!"_

_Ren doubled over in pain as a fist collided with his stomach, but his head was pulled up by his hair and spat in the face of the well-dressed agent._

_The man snarled and repeatedly punched Ren in the face, each punch causing Ren's vision to darken._

_"You!"_

_Punch._

_"Should!"_

_Punch._

_"Just!"_

_Punch._

_"Learn!"_

_Punch._

_"Your!"_

_Punch._

_"Place!"_

_Ren fell to the ground as blood fell from his lip and forehead. He then felt a foot stomp on his head. "Now talk! Where are your teammates?"_

_"Fuck off," Ren hissed out defiantly._

_The man looked to his fellow agents and said, "Lift him."_

_The man removed his foot, and two agents lifted Ren by his arms and held him as the bald man removed his jacket and tossed it to the side._

_"Since it seems you refuse to answer, I'll just have to beat one out of you," The man said._

_"Such a big man. Beating a teenager half your size," Ren growled out. "Your mother must be so proud of you abusing the justice system like this."_

_"Thieves like you don't know the meaning of justice!" before his fist slammed into Ren's face._

_Ren spat blood out to the floor and smirked despite himself, and asked, "Please, sir, may I have some more?"_

_"And you continue to talk. Don't you understand, kid? You're in our hands, and no one is going to save you," The man said cockily. "Why don't you tell us what we want to know, and we'll stop the beating."_

_Instead of answering, Ren laughed in the man's face._

_The man smirked at this and replied, "Go ahead and laugh, kid. Sooner or later, that defiance in your eyes is going to fade away while my fists remain as hard as ever. So let's see how long you last!" before he began to wail on Ren's defenseless form again._

* * *

**[Scene Change – Café LeBlanc (Mid-Morning)  
Theme of Awakening: Sunset Bridge from Persona 5]**

With a gasp, Ren woke up in a cold sweat.

That dream felt far too real. Ren could feel the pain from each of those blows on his body and he felt exhausted.

But why did he dream that?

_"In the light men crossing over lone shadows  
Wearing veiled slight hopes for intimacy  
Want to be close  
To be close…"_

Ren reached over to his phone, switched his alarm off, and saw that the time was "8:30 A.M" on his screen.

But curiously, there was that strange app again. Ren frowned and deleted the app before he stood up to get ready.

Thankfully, Shujin Academy sent their uniform by mail before moving up here, so he had access to wear it.

After taking a bath down the street, Ren slipped on his uniform just as Sojiro walked into the room and said, "Good, you're already ready to go. Come on."

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shujin Academy (Daytime)  
Theme of Shujin Academy: Want to be Close from Persona 3]**

"Wow, this place is huge," Ren stated once he and Sojiro stepped out of the car and glanced at the school. Back home, his school was so much smaller.

This one was as big as a castle.

Ren suddenly saw the image of a castle superimposed over the school and the faint but familiar laughter echoing within his mind.

 _"Heed…my…c-call…"_ The voice said within his head.

Ren shook his head with a wince.

"You ok, kid?" Sojiro asked.

"I just got a dreadful headache for some reason," Ren said. "But I'll be fine."

"Good. Now let's not waste anymore of my Sunday and get inside," Sojiro replied.

The two walked into the school, and Ren began to look around. He didn't know why but this place felt familiar to him.

While there was uneasiness within him, this place made him feel nostalgic as well.

"What's with that wistful smile on your face?" Sojiro asked him, snapping him out of this feeling.

"I-uh...I just missed school, is all," Ren said honestly.

Back at home, Gojin Academy was Ren's life. From being the Volleyball and Track team leader, to head of the student council, Ren was the model student before that night happened.

"Ah, so you were a bookworm then?" Sojiro asked.

"Top of my class," Ren added.

"Ah, impressive," Sojiro said, his voice giving away his surprise. "If you bring that dedication to this school, you should have no probl-watch out!"

Ren turned his head only to collide with a person, which sent him down to the ground.

"Ow," the person in front of him said.

Ren looked up to see a girl with brown eyes and dark black hair in a ponytail tied with a pink hairband. She was wearing Shujin's uniform without the black jacket: a beige sweater rolled up to her elbows and the standard uniform skirt.

He also noted the black leg-brace on her right leg and black bandages around her elbows and under her skirt, and white running shoes.

Ren stared at the girl, and for a split second, an image of this girl was lying on the ground with blood pooling around her with himself, a blond boy and blonde girl staring in horror in the crowd before his mind flashed back to seeing her rubbing her forehead.

"Nice going, kid," Sojiro said as Ren quickly rose to his feet and held out his hand to her.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked kindly.

"I-I'm fine…" the girl said as she took his hand, albeit hesitantly.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you," Ren said apologetically. "I should have watched where I was going."

"N-No, It's my fault," she insisted. "I was in a rush to get h-home from V-V-Volleyball practice."

"Let's just say we're both at fault," Ren said with a grin.

The girl's face seemed to flush before she said, "I've n-never seen you here before. Are you new?"

"Yes, I'm Amamiya Ren. I'll be starting…" Ren drifted off, not sure when he would start.

"Tomorrow," Sojiro said.

"Tomorrow," Ren said as well.

"Nice to meet you, Amamiya-san. My name is Suzui S-Shiho," Shiho said. "I must run, but if you like, I-I can show you around."

"That would be nice," Ren said with a smile on his face.

The girl flushed again before she heard footsteps echoing from behind her.

Walking towards the three was a tall male with long black, unkempt hair, thick eyebrows, a broad and square jawline, and a white sports T-shirt and black sports trousers with double white stripes.

"Ah! Suzui-chan!" The man called out as he picked up his pace.

Ren immediately felt himself on edge at the sight of this male, and that only grew when he noticed the panic cross Shiho's face at the sound of his voice.

"Hey kid, we need to get moving. We have people to meet," Sojiro said, but Ren could only look at the barely concealed fear on Shiho's face as the man continued to approach them.

Thinking quickly, Ren said, "Well, Shiho-san, Sorry for keeping you from your doctor's appointment. I will see you tomorrow. "

Shiho looked confused, but she seemed to realize what he was trying to do and said, "Y-Yes. Very nice t-to meet you." Shiho said before she darted off for the exit.

Ren noticed the man slow his pace before he stopped in front of Ren and Sojiro and said, "Darn, I must have just missed her. Hi, I'm Suguru Kamoshida. I'm the head coach of volleyball here at Shujin Academy."

"Ah, Volleyball," Sojiro said. "I'm Sakura Sojiro, and this here is Amamiya Ren. He's a new student starting tomorrow. He was the volleyball captain of his school."

"Were you now?" Kamoshida asked.

 _'I don't know whether he's trying to sound interested, but to me, he sounds threatening,'_ Ren thought with an inward sneer. "That is correct. One of the best at my school," Ren replied.

"I can't wait to see you try out then," Kamoshida said. "We have a volleyball meet in a few days from now. You can see how we at Shujin does it, but I'm sure you two have places to be, so I'm off."

Kamoshida turned around and took a left turn down a hallway, but Ren saw this dark expression on his face.

 _' What is up with the look?'_ Ren thought.

"He's an Olympic gold medalist in Volleyball Ren. You should learn a lot from him," Sojiro stated, which only made Ren inwardly blanch, but outwardly, he nodded.

"Come on, we wasted enough time," Sojiro said.

Ren nodded, and together, the two walked into the meeting room, and right away, Ren was taken aback by the woman that stood in the room.

She was a youthful-looking woman of medium height and a slender build. She had dark brown unkempt hair and dark brown eyes.

She wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt striped with white and red horizontal lines, a blue denim skirt, and white kitten heel shoes. While Ren thought she was beautiful, she looked exhausted.

Ren wasn't sure why but he remembered her from somewhere but where?

Beside her was a man that made Ren burst out laughing.

The frumpy man beside her was short, overweight, and bald with a head shaped like an egg, and he wore a beige suit, white undershirt, and red bow tie.

"What in the world is so funny, young man?" The short man asked.

"Nothing," Ren said between his laughter. "Just had a thought."

The teacher let out a sad sigh and said, "I take it you're Amamiya Ren?"

"That's me. And might I say, It's good to see you again," Ren said before his eyes widened, as well as hers, but while he was surprised, she was in panic mode.

He didn't mean to say that.

Why did he say that?

Ren had never met Kawakami before a day in his life, but those words just flew out of his mouth.

"Ah, so you know Kawakami-san?" The short man asked.

"I-I've seen her around," Ren said with an embarrassed look.

Sojiro quirked his eyebrow at the teen and then said, "Must have been around town. You did wind up lost looking for my shop."

"Yeah, that must be it," Ren replied.

He noticed that Kawakami's body relaxed at the reveal, which inwardly made Ren glad, but why did she get so nervous?

"Ah, that must be the case. Well, let me formally introduce you to her as well as myself. I am Principal Kobayakawa, and this is your homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami."

"Please to see you again," Kawakami said sarcastically, eyeing him down suspiciously.

"Thanks," Ren said with a grin, but inwardly he sighed.

He should have kept his mouth shut.

* * *

[Scene Change – Café LeBlanc (Following day - Morning)  
Theme of a Café LeBlanc: Tranquility from Persona 3]

_"I tried hard, but where did we go wrong?  
I hope we could... but I won't start all over again."_

Ren's head switched off the alarm on his phone, and his eyes opened.

"Another weird dream," He mumbled against his pillow before he lifted his phone and said, "Time to start the day."

Once he got dressed, he walked downstairs to see Sojiro placing a curry plate on the counter with a coffee cup. "Eat up. You'll need your strength for your first day," Sojiro said as Ren sat down at the bar counter.

"Curry this early?" Ren questioned. "Not that I'm complaining. It smells delicious." Ren sat down and said a quick prayer before he began to eat, and boy, the delicious smell was just a precursor to the exquisite taste of the curry.

"Ok, Sojiro-san," Ren said after swallowing some of the food. "I already thought pretty highly of you for letting me stay here, but this? You can do no wrong in my eyes now."

Sojiro let out a sharp bark of a laugh and shook his head. "You're welcome. Get to school, kid. I'll be here when you get back."

Ren finished off his plate and cup of coffee before he ran off with a quick "Later Sojiro-san!"

Sojiro waved him off before his eyes lit up. "Flip the sign on the front to open for me!" Sojiro shouted back.

Ren shut the door and flipped the sign to "Open" before making his way to the train station.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shibuya (Daytime - Rainy)  
Theme of Rainy Shibuya: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Ver) from Persona 5)]**

Ren stepped out of the station and narrowed his eyes at the rain falling over the city. "It makes this place even drearier than it already is," Ren said with a sigh, removing his glasses and wiping the water from them before slipping them back over his eyes.

 _'I wonder how mom and dad are doing,'_ Ren thought to himself.

His dad was probably at the bar with his friends, laughing it up while his mom was would be at the school, working with many students in her class.

Despite them betraying him, Ren missed his parents.

Why did they have to do this to him?

As he stood there, waiting for the rain to stop, Ren noticed a female figure step beside him.

The first thing he noticed was the standard black blazer that belonged to Shujin Academy, but the rest, he was sure, was not allowed as a uniform.

The female wore the Shujin blazer over a white varsity-like full-zip hooded sweatshirt, worn long to cover most of her short plaid skirt.

Her sweatshirt has a red stripe between two blue lines at the bottom, an "S" symbol near the front bottom on one side, and a green four-leaf-clover logo on the back of the hood. She wears red tights and brown boots with yellow laces.

He watched as she removed the hood from her head to reveal that the female had bright blue eyes and wavy platinum blonde hair styled in bushy pigtails, with parted side bangs on the right side of her face.

She also had a single yellow hair clip above her left ear and small circular earrings on both ears.

"Wow," Ren said.

She was gorgeous.

The girl turned to him as if she heard him speak and gave a polite smile. "Hello," she said.

"Hi," Ren replied.

"I've never seen you around here before. Are you new?" she asked.

"Ah, yeah. Today's my first day, actually. I'm Amamiya Ren," Ren said as he held out a hand.

"Takamaki to meet you," Ann said as Ren shook her hand.

"The same to you," Ren said. "Man, it is pouring out here, huh?"

"Yeah. I like the rain, though. It's purifying in a way. To me, at least," Ann said. "So today is your first day. Nervous?"

"Yeah…" Ren admitted. "I mean, school-wise, I think I'll be ok, but I was looking forward to joining the volleyball team until I met that guy. Kamoshida, I think his name is."

"Oh…" Ann said with a distracted tone.

"You know him?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, he's my friend's teacher," Ann said with a slight frown on her face.

At the mention of her friend, a familiar image of himself and a blond male standing behind a kneeling blonde female, now known as Ann, who cried in front of Shiho's unconscious body, appeared in his head.

"Your friend wouldn't happen to be Suzui Shiho, would she?" Ren asked.

"W-What? How did you guess that?" Ann asked in surprise.

"Well, we met yesterday. Kamoshida was looking for her, and she became super scared of him," Ren noted.

He watched worry appear on Ann's face. "Scared? She's one of the bravest people I know," Ann said. "Why was she scared?"

"I don't know, but that guy caused it. She looked like she was facing the gallows," Ren noted. "The guy himself looked like a straight-up scumbag."

Ann was quiet for a moment before she said, "Yeah…"

Just then, a gray car pulled up, and the window rolled down to see Shujin's Volleyball teacher.

'Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear,' Ren noted with a tiny smirk.

"Hey, Takamaki-chan. You need a ride?" Kamoshida asked with what Ren assumed to be a friendly smile, but it came off lecherous as hell.

Ren noticed a defeated expression appear on Ann's face, and once again, he became on guard.

What was it about this guy that had Shiho and Ann react this way?

And why did this put him on edge like this?

Unable to stop his mouth, Ren said, "Aww that sucks. I thought you were going to show me the way to the school?"

Ann blinked in surprise before she flashed him a thankful smile. "No thanks, Kamoshida-san. I promised Amamiya-san that I would show him the way. Since it's his first day after all."

"Sure," Kamoshida said before he said, "I'll catch you later then, Takamaki-san!"

But as he rolled up the windows, Ren caught the look of anger that appeared when the man glanced at him.

 _'Welp…That's not good,'_ Ren thought to himself.

The car drove off, leaving Ann and Ren alone once again.

"What made you do that?" Ann said. "Not that I'm not thankful about it."

"You looked so defeated. I thought I'd give you an easy out," Ren said before he glanced at his phone. "That App…It's there again…"

"Hm? App?" Ann asked.

"Yeah," Ren said as he held up his phone. "Every time I deleted it, it appears again. I even factory restored it last night."

"That is freaky," Ann said. "But look at the time, we better head to school."

"Yo Takamaki!" A voice shouted from behind them.

Ann and Ren turned around to see a spiky blond-haired teen running towards them.

He was wearing the standard Shujin blazer, and red plaid pants with the bottoms rolled up to reveal his ankles; his blazer was unbuttoned, revealing a yellow t-shirt with a comic style star symbol and the word 'ZOMG!' on it.

The straps of his suspenders hung loosely at his sides of his pants, and he had a white belt and sneakers with the rising sun motif on them.

"Oh, Sakomato-san," Ann said with a polite smile. "What's up?"

"Was that Kamoshida's car that just left?" Ryuji asked.

"Yeah…" Ann replied.

"Let me guess; he was going to pick you up?" Ryuji asked with a frown on his face. When Ann didn't respond, he growled and looked at where the car went and said, "Damn pervy teacher…"

"Pervy teacher?" Ren repeated. "Am I missing something here?"

"Just rumors," Ann said, her tone dismissive, but Ren's guard did not relax.

He didn't want to read too into it but was Ryuji accusing Kamoshida of being a…No, that couldn't be.

Shiho's panicked expression appeared in Ren's mind.

"Tell me about this Kamoshida," Ren said.

"Sure, but um…" Ryuji replied before he looked at Ren and asked, "You don't know about the rumors about him?"

"No, he's new," Ann said.

"Ah, well, hey new kid," Ryuji said with a smile as he held up a balled fist. "Sakamoto Ryuji is my name."

Ren stared before he bumped fists with Ryuji and replied, "Amamiya Ren. Nice to meet you."

"Ditto. Well, in short, he's treats everyone like shit. Well, every guy I know at least," Ryuji said. "He acts like he's the king of the castle at that place."

"Not to mention those rumors about him…" Ryuji then looked to Ann and said, "With you at the forefront of them."

Ann sneered and looked away as she replied, "They are nothing but rumors. There is no way in hell that they could be true."

"I never said they were true, but you are a part of them," Ryuji stated.

"Guys…I think we should get to school," Ren said. "We can discuss more while we walk."

 _' But if they are true, it explains a few things,'_ Ren thought to himself with a frown.

"Yeah…" Ann said before she started to walk, with Ren and Ryuji following close behind, but if he had been paying attention, he would have noticed his phone acting very weird.


	3. Trickster of the Twilight and the Castle of Lust

**[Opening Scene – Rooftop (Day)  
Theme of Rooftop: Memories of the School from Persona 3]**

_"Hey, Short stuff."_

_The image of a sixteen-year-old auburn-haired girl wearing a red scarf, a light orange sweater, a red plaid skirt, black leggings, red boots, and red headphones that hung down from beneath her scarf stood at the edge of a roof._

_"I'm sorry that I sound so tired today…But it's getting harder to stay awake, so listen up, okay? I won't be around for your ninth birthday this year, and I'm sorry. I'm a lousy Aunt, I know, but trust me when I say it's for a good reason. Everyone was in danger, and I couldn't take that lying down, so I did something pretty reckless to keep everyone safe. No regrets about it but boy, I am exhausted."_

_"I want you to take care of Nee-chan for me. She'll be sad when I'm gone, and she'll need you to brighten up her day. I want you to tell her that she was the best big sister I ever had, and I know mom and dad would be proud of her for raising me as she did."_

_The girl turned around, and while the top half of her face was hidden by a bright light, the bottom half revealed that she had a smile on her face. "Tell her that I have no regrets doing what I did. I protected everyone. You might not get it now, Ren, but one day, you will meet people that you will want to protect with everything that you have, and when you do, you'll get why I did what I did."_

_Tears fell down the girl's cheeks as the world started to become brighter. "So no matter what happens in the future, no matter how bad it gets, stand tall and don't give up! And when you ever find yourself lost and not knowing where to go, never forget that I will always be there by your side."_

* * *

**[Scene Change – The Velvet Room  
Theme of the Velvet Room– Velvet Room from Persona 2: Innocent Sin]**

Ren's eyes snapped open, and found himself in a jail cell, which seemed to be bathed in a dark-blue light. He held his head and thought, _'Why did I dream of her just now?'_

Ren twisted his body to sit in his bed, only to hear the sounds of rattling chains accompany his movement. He glanced down at his wrists and saw that they were bound up chains.

But while he should have been panicking, he felt calm at this.

It was then he said, "The Velvet Room."

He blinked.

Why did he say that?

What was going on with him?

"About time you woke up, inmate!" A young female's voice shouted, which was followed by something banging against the bars of his cell, startling him.

"Can you not do that?!" Ren exclaimed in alarm.

It was then he got a good look at the offender hitting his cell.

The girl looked young, and she had platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes, but there was another girl that looked exactly like her standing on the opposite side of her, both of them staring at the cell.

The twins both were wearing a black eye patch with the letter "V" over one of their eyes and a blue prison guard outfit.

The one on the right had a long braid and a hat with the letters "O-Y-O-O," while the one on the left had hair buns and a hat with the letters "X-M-R-N." They also wore a brassard on their left arms, with matching black ties.

The girl on the left had a calm expression and a clipboard, while the one on the right had an angered look and a baton, which had electricity flowing around it.

"You watch your mouth, inmate!" The girl on the right said with a sneer. "You do not yell in the presence of our master."

"Then how about not hitting the bars so loud then," Ren said with a frown. "Wait a minute. Who are you?!"

"You have a lot of questions for a criminal," The right guard said.

"Caroline, please. Calm down," A low, deep voice said.

The right guard, Caroline, visibly relaxed and nodded.

Ren stood up from his bed and walked to the bars and found himself peeking into a large room.

The room was dark-blue in color, and dozens of jail cells lined the room's walls, but in the center of the room, a single desk and a figure were sitting behind it.

The figure was an older man with a long nose, pointed ears, bulging, bloodshot eyes, and a black suit with white gloves.

"Hello, Inmate. I am Igor, and this is my Velvet Room, and you have somehow entered here without me summoning you yet. How interesting," Igor said.

"I didn't ask to be here, long nose," Ren stated.

"You dare talk to our master like that?" Caroline exclaimed, visibly angered. "Do you hear this, Justine?!"

"I hear it," the twin, Justine, stated, but there was a look in her eye that Ren couldn't quite place.

Igor chuckled and connected his hands and said, "It is quite alright, Justine. I like this one's humor. It is good to have levity, inmate. It will go well with your rehabilitation."

"Rehabilitation?" Ren repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"You shall see soon. For now, you ought to awaken. You and your friends are being held captured by a lustful king. I await what you discover in his castle, Trickster…" Igor said before he chuckled.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Palace Dungeon  
Theme of the Palace Dungeon – Another World from Persona 5]**

"Ren! Wake up!"

Ren's eyes snapped open, and Ann's bright, worried blue eyes were staring into his. "Thank goodness," Ann sighed out, relief heavy in her voice. "I was worried you would never wake up from that blow."

"Yeah, man," Ryuji said as he looked back from the cell bars. "They got you pretty hard…I've been trying to get these guys to let us go, but no dice…"

Ren leaned up as he rubbed his head and muttered, "W-What happened? I remember seeing a castle, then some knights talking about Kamoshida, and then nothing…" Ren said as he looked at the pair.

"That's what we have too," Ann admitted. "But this is supposed to be our school, you know? Not this…whatever the hell it is."

"Damn it!" Ryuji shouted as he kicked the bars. "Let us out of here!"

Ren winced, his head pounding. "I know we are in a serious jam, but…Please keep it down," Ren said with a dazed tone in his voice.

"Sorry, man," Ryuji apologized as he walked back to Ann and Ren and sat on the floor in front of Ren's bed. "But damn it, what the fuck is going on?"

"Whatever it is, Kamoshida seems to be behind it," Ann said with concern.

"Why the concerned tone?" Ren asked her.

"I'm just worried about what's going to happen to us, that's all," Ann hesitantly answered.

Just then, the doors opened, and several knights poured into the room and stood to the side.

And then a familiar voice said, "When I heard intruders were here, I never expected you, Sakamoto. And with my queen at that!"

**[Theme of Confrontation: Blood of Villain from Persona 5]**

And walking into the cell was Kamoshida, wearing a gold crown, red heart printed cape, and pink underwear, leaving his torso and hairy legs exposed, but it was his eyes that Ren noticed.

His irises were this eerily yellow, and they seemed to glow.

"I'm not your queen Kamoshida!" Ann exclaimed.

"You are very much mine. You belong to me. And no one else," Kamoshida said as he took a step towards Ann, but Ryuji stepped between her.

"You get the hell away from her, you creep," Ryuji said with a scowl.

However, Kamoshida smirked and punched the teen hard in the face, causing both Ann and Ren to gasp in shock. Ryuji fell to the ground.

"You seem to forget your PLACE!" Kamoshida lifted his leg and stomped on Ryuji's leg, which caused Ryuji to scream in agony.

"Ryuji!" Ann and Ren shouted, but Ren leaped out of bed and attempted to push Kamoshida away, but two of his knights instantly slammed their shields into him, sending Ren to the ground hard.

"Kamoshida, please leave them alone!" Ann tearfully shouted as Ren was picked up by a knight and slammed into the wall back first, knocking the air out of him while Kamoshida continued to apply pressure to Ryuji's leg, despite the teen clawing and punching at the leg.

"These vermin should have never shown their faces around you," Kamoshida hissed out as he looked to Ann, only to look down to Ryuji and raised his foot to stomp down on Ryuji's leg again, causing another agonizing scream to rip through the teen's lungs.

"Please," Ann said, tears pooling in her eyes. "Let them go, and I'll…I'll…"

"Don't you fucking say it!" Ryuji shouted, despite the pain. "Don't give this pervy ass bitch the satisfaction!"

"Don't you know how to stay QUIET?!" Kamoshida exclaimed as he kicked Ryuji In the face hard enough to draw blood from the right side of it.

"Get off of him!" Ann said before she rushed up and tried to push Kamoshida away, but he instantly scowled and backhanded the teenager, sending her to the ground hard.

"Guards! Please take my beautiful queen out of here and into my chambers. I will deal with these two animals," Kamoshida ordered before he lifted Ryuji in the air by his hair and said, "Starting with Sakamoto…"

The knights nodded and grabbed Ann by her arms and lifted her off the ground, which immediately began to struggle. "Ryuji! Ren! Help me!" Ann wailed as she fought to get out of the knights' grasp.

Despite the pain in his ribs and back, Ren narrowed his eyes in anger as he watched as Ann screamed for the knights to let her go while Kamoshida ground his foot into Ryuji's leg.

"STOP IT!" Ren shouted, fury flowing in his veins.

The knights, as well as Kamoshida, stopped their actions and looked to Ren. Kamoshida smirked, stepped away from Ryuji and walked to the bound Ren, and gave a smirk. "Or what?" Kamoshida asked.

"Leave them alone or else…," Ren hissed out.

Kamoshida laughed and said, "You'll be doing nothing at all," before he reached up and smacked Ren in the face and then immediately backhanded him with the same hand, causing Ren to growl.

"Aww, how cute. You think you're fearsome," Kamoshida mockingly said before he punched Ren in the stomach hard, causing Ren to gasp out in agony with blood leaving his mouth, the pain so severe, it caused him to pass out.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Unknown (?)  
Theme of Unknown: The Voice of Someone Calls from Persona 3]**

Ren sat there in the dark, his head bowed and blood dripping down the corner of his mouth.

**"Are you giving up again?"** A voice asked him.

Ren looked up to see himself, but in an outfit he had never seen himself in before.

The outfit his doppelganger wore consisted of a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, black jogger-style pants, brown-black winklepickers, and a pair of red gloves.

And his eyes, they were similar to those twins he had seen, and there was blood covering the upper half of his face, sliding down his cheeks.

"Again?" Ren asked.

**"You've been in this situation before…Do you remember?"** the doppelganger asked.

"I…" Ren whispered.

The doppelganger smirked and knelt in front of Ren and tilted the teen's head up to face him. Ren looked up at the glowing yellow eyes and saw something within them.

There was this confidence that Ren had never seen before.

Or had he?

As he stared into these eyes, he took a sharp breath as a flicker of blue flames crossed the eyes of his other-self.

**"It's not your time Ren. We still have business with the traitor,"** the doppelganger said. **"Your friends are in danger, and you are letting them down again."**

"Again? Friends?" Ren asked. "I…I never met these people before…" Ren said.

**"Then why stick your neck out for them?"** The doppelganger questioned.

"T-They are good people…" Ren defended. "I don't know how I know, but they are," Ren said.

**"And yet you are letting them down,"** he responded. **"You have the power to stop this threat and to save your friends, and yet you are surrendering again!"**

"I'm not surrendering!" Ren shouted.

**"Then are you simply going to watch? Are? Death awaits Ryuji, and a darker fate awaits Ann if Kamoshida takes her away,"** His doppelganger told him. **"You always touted yourself as someone that always helps those in need like _she_ always did. And yet you do nothing when there are people in danger!"**

Ren's eyes widened in surprise.

**"You talked a big game, acting like you're the protector of the defenseless, but because it backfired on you, you're afraid and willing to hide behind the mask of meek indifference,"** His double continued as a dagger appeared in his hand with a flourish of cobalt-blue fire. The doppelganger pointed the dagger at Ren and shouted, **"Tell me, Amamiya Ren! Are you truly who you say you are or were your previous decisions to help those in need a mistake all along?"** The double questioned.

The image of the woman being harassed by the bald man appeared in his mind, but his mind opened up further, and dozens of scenes began to force themselves into his mind. Ren tried to sort through all of the images he saw but could not due to how fast they were playing it in his mind.

But there was one image that he was able to catch and that the last image was of a gun pointed against his forehead and the smirk of a traitor.

Something in the last image caused something to snap in Ren's mind. He did not know the context of that image, but it filled him with a rage he had never felt before.

"I think I finally understand," Ren murmured as he sat there with a grin before he looked up at his double and said, "You're right. I was afraid. Because I defended that woman, she framed me, and in turn, I lost my parents, I lost the girl that I loved, and I lost the respect of everyone at Gorin that I fought so hard to gain…."

The clone narrowed his eyes curiously.

"My shield may be dented from the damage it took, but that doesn't mean I should keep my head down and ignore people in need," Ren continued as he stood up on his feet. "She gave me the inspiration I needed to be who I am, and I will not hide behind a mask of indifference!"

**"That's it…"** The doppelganger said as blue flames began to wrap around them.

"No matter how bad it gets and no matter how lost I become, I am still me in the end, and I will protect anyone that needs my help!" Ren shouted.

**"Perfect! That's all I've been waiting for!" His double exclaimed with a devilish grin.**

* * *

**[Scene Change – Palace Dungeon  
Theme of Awakening: Awakening from Persona 5]**

Ren's eyes opened, revealing bright yellow irises before a pulse of shockwave flew from him, knocking the knights away and Kamoshida from his body and to the ground.

"What the?" Kamoshida hissed out.

"What in the hell?" Ryuji muttered as he sat on the ground, holding his leg.

"What…" Ann whispered, her hair blowing back from the intense wind that took up.

**"I have heeded your resolve once again. Let us renew your pact!"** An otherworldly voice exclaimed. **"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I...Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!"** The voice echoed within Ren's head as blue flames encircled his body.

**"Call upon my name once more and release thy rage!"** Ren felt a white and black domino mask appeared on his face.

**"Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"** and without hesitation, he ripped it off with one hand.

**"AND REMEMBER THINE PAST AND AWAKEN TO ME, MY TRICKSTER!" **Ren let out a shout as the blue flames flowed from his body and exploded, revealing himself in the same clothes his doppelganger wore.****

********

Behind him was an ethereal figure in a red suit and black body with two elongated horns coming out from its hat/head with two large black wings coming from its lower back with a fiery orange-red grin on its face, accompanied by two large orange-red fiery eyes.

********

"What the hell?!" Ryuji and Ann exclaimed in shock.

********

**"I am the Pillager of Twilight, Arsène!" **The creature bellowed as Ren stood there, a giant smirk on his face. **"I am the rebel soul that has been reawakened from his heart…And if he continues to desire it, I shall grant you the power to break through this crisis." **********

************** ** ** **

Ren's eyes snapped forward to look Kamoshida in the eyes and smirked.

************** ** ** **

Kamoshida took a step back and said, "Release the girl and stop him!" The knights dropped Ann before they all rushed into the cell towards Ren, but a harsh blow of Arsène's wings forced them to fly backward into Kamoshida, sending them all to the ground.

************** ** ** **

Ren took a step forward and chuckled darkly, a dagger appearing in his hand, made from blue flame.

************** ** ** **

"I warned you to leave them alone, Kamoshida…And now…" Ren dashed towards the group as he shouted, "You'll pay for your mistake!"

************** ** ** **

Kamoshida stood up from the ground, looked to his fallen knights, and shouted, "Get him!"

The knights nodded, and with an explosion of inky black and red energy, three Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs floated in the air. "Get him!" Kamoshida shouted.

The two of the four shadows launched themselves at Ren while the other two stayed back, flames glowing wildly in their lanterns.

Ren sidestepped the first pyromaniac and leaped into the air and kicked the second one in its pumpkin-shaped head, sending it to the ground before he landed on the ground and sliced through it, causing it to explode in the same inky black substance it was born from.

Ren leaped to the side to avoid a burst of fire from slamming into him before he shouted, "Arsène!"

With a laugh, Arsène appeared in a flourish of blue flames and reached his hand out to the pyromaniac, and a burst of red/black energy shot up from the ground and pierced through the body of the pyromaniac.

Ren immediately followed it up with two quick slashes of his dagger, causing it to explode before flipping to the right to avoid a burst of flames from the other two pumpkin-headed pyromaniacs.

Ren dashed forward and shouted, "Ravage them, Arsène!"

Arsène reappeared, and in unison, the pair cleaved their arm/dagger into the two Pyromaniacs. As Arsène disappeared, Ren followed it up and cleaved through the monster from top to bottom before cleaving the second monster from side to side, causing them to explode into the black substance.

"Was that all?" Ren asked, his eyes turning to Kamoshida's shocked form. "If so, you are pathetic."

Kamoshida let out an arrogant laugh and said, "I am the ruler of this castle, you worm. There is no defeating me!" With a burst of inky black energy, Kamoshida's body disappeared from view.

**(Theme of After the Battle: The Power of the Heart from Persona 3)**

"Coward," Ren muttered before he turned around to the gobsmacked duo of Ann and Ryuji. "What?" Ren asked curiously. When the pair continued to stare, Ren repeated, "What?" in a defensive tone.

"Seriously, dude?" Ryuji asked. "What the fuck was all of that?!"

"What?" Ren asked defensively.

"That thing you summoned, those monsters. Your stylish clothes, Kamoshida, this place. Like, I don't know about you, but that stuff seems like a good start!" Ann exclaimed.

"I don't know what this place is. All I know is that all of this feels somewhat familiar…" Ren explained truthfully.

"What do you mean?" Ann asked.

"It feels like Déjà vu, you know?" Ren replied. "I've never done any of this before, and yet it's like my body knows the motions."

"Yeah, that sounds nuts," Ryuji said.

"Well…When I met Shiho yesterday, I had a brief image of this scene. It was of us three, and we were standing above her. She was on the ground, bleeding, and Ann, you were crying…" Ren explained.

"And at that point, I knew nothing about you guys at all…I remember seeing Kawakami-sensei somewhere…And there are some other faces I don't recognize…But that's all I can tell for now," Ren finished.

"Shiho…She was bleeding, and we were around her?" Ann asked with panic.

"Yeah…from the muffled voices I heard from the students around us, we didn't cause it, but I don't what happened," Ren said.

"Wait…That thing… Arsène. He said he was the 'Rebel soul that has been reawakened from his heart.' Your heart…" Ryuji said. "Maybe he has something to do with these images."

"I do remember seeing something like Arsène when I first showed up to this city but thought I imagined it," Ren admitted. "All I know is, I have all of these images in my head. All jumbled up and confusing."

"We can talk about that later," Ryuji said. "I mean, all this shit is crazy and all, but you saved my ass from certain death so let's get out of here and then start the questions."

"You said it," Ann replied. "Now lead the way, Ren."

"Great. Now. I have a feeling I know where the exit is, but we will need help," Ren said. "So let's jet before more of those knights show up."

The two nodded, but when Ryuji took a step forward, he suddenly fell to the ground. "Shit, you're injured. I forgot," Ren said as he rushed to Ryuji's side. "Well…That changes things. Ann, you stick by me. Ryuji, I'm going to need you to lean on me."

"That's all I can do honestly," Ryuji said, but Ren could hear the bitterness within his voice.

Ren wrapped his hand around the back of Ryuji's and placed Ryuji's arm around his shoulders, and said to Ann, "Let's move… "

* * *

**[Theme of the Palace:  
King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5]**

"I thought I'd seen it all in this place, but this…This takes the cake," Ryuji stated with a blank tone in his voice.

Sitting a cell before Ryuji, Ann and himself was an anthropomorphic and biped form of a Tuxedo cat with a large head and eyes, with a yellow bandana and a utility belt.

"Awww! It's an adorable kitten!" Ann squealed happily.

"I'm not an 'It.' or a kitten! I'm Morgana," Morgana said defensively, albeit with a tiny blush across his cheeks.

'She's not kidding. He does look adorable,' Ren thought to himself with a chuckle. He knew from the many jumbled images that he knew this one, probably better than Ann and Ryuji. This little guy was a constant figure in his mind, both in wherever the hell they were to in the real world.

He felt as if a hole was filled when he gazed at the figure currently grooming itself in the cell.

"He looks alright," Ryuji said as he shrugged, then added, "Well, he's pretty cool looking. Hey little dude."

"Hello to you too! Who are you guys?" Morgana asked.

"I'm Ren. This is Ryuji and Ann, and we need help getting out of here, and I think you know how to do that, right?" Ren questioned.

"Well, of course. I am a master thief after all," Morgana stated rather cockily, which made Ren quirk an eyebrow. "Here. There is a key over there. Let me out, and I'll get you out of here."

"Fine. Ann, mind grabbing the key for me?" Ren asked her.

"Sure," replied Ann as she walked to the key and placed it into the cell's keyhole and twisted it left, then pulled the compartment open, letting Morgana free.

"We're trusting you now. Please don't let us down," Ann told Morgana, who nodded.

"I shall not let you down," Morgana said with a salute and a smile. "Now come on, we need to get outta here."

"Lead the way," Ren said as he adjusted Ryuji and prepared himself for a lot of running.

The four ran through the castle's basement, avoiding any sort of battles due to Ryuji being wounded and Ren carrying him. Throughout their travels, the humans noted the presence of kids dressed in their uniform hanging from cages attached to the ceiling, each one making Ren more unnerved.

But after ten minutes, they came upon a kid trapped in a cell, which caused Ryuji to gasp in shock. "Wait…I know this guy. He's on the volleyball team…"

"What?" Ann exclaimed as she rushed to the cell. "This is Ikari-san…What is he doing here?" She asked.

"We need to get him out of here," Ren said.

"It won't do any good," Morgana stated.

"But why?" Ryuji asked.

"He's only a cog-" Morgana was interrupted as the shouts of three knights interrupted him.

"There they are!" The knights exclaimed while stopping in front of the group.

* * *

**[Theme of Battle:  
Last Surprise from Persona 5]**

"Shit," Ren said before he looked to Ann and said, "Ann, if you don't mind…" as he motioned to Ryuji.

Ann nodded and took Ryuji from Ren.

"I'll help you out with this," Morgana said with a grin as the shadows broke away to reveal three Beguiling Girls, floating in the air with their tiny wings, wearing a purple leotard with red hair.

"This will be easy!" Morgana said as a cutlass appeared in his paws.

Ren tossed his weapon in the air with a cocky smirk and dashed forward towards the first pixie and swiped at it with his dagger, but it managed to avoid his swing with a giggle.

But the giggling girl wasn't quick enough to avoid a kick to its body, sending it backward.

"Ravage them, Arsène!" Ren shouted.

Arsène appeared behind him and opened his palm, and that familiar black/red energy shot up from the ground and pierced through the first beguiling girl.

The pixie shrieked in agony before her body dispersed in the inky black substance. "You hit its weak point! Looking cool!" Morgana said as he blocked a palm from his opponent before he shouted, "Come forth, my other self!"

A large figure dressed in a Spanish nobleman's suit with large yellow eyes embedded in a large top hat and two spikes signifying his mustache appeared behind Morgana with a burst of ethereal blue flames.

With a swing of his rapier, a burst of wind slammed into one of the girls, leaving Ren to finish it off with a stab to its chest.

Immediately after the fall of its compatriots, the third pixie tried to escape by running past them. Ren and Morgana twisted their bodies and launched their respective weapons at the retreating Beguiling girl, impaling the monster in its back.

The girl shrieked in agony as it fell to the ground, where it exploded into an inky red and black substance.

**[Theme of Victory:  
Victory from Persona 5]**

"And that's that," Ren said as he twirled his dagger on his index finger before launching it in the air then catching it.

"Meow-velous victory!" Morgana exclaimed as he hopped around excitedly.

* * *

**[Theme of the Palace:  
King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5]**

"It's intense every single time," Ryuji said out loud.

"Yeah…." Ann murmured.

Ren and Morgana turned around to face the two and said, "We need to keep moving."

"But what about Ikari-san?" Ann asked them.

"He's not real," Morgana said. "I'll explain it when we get somewhere safe, but we need to move now."

Ren could see the reluctant expressions on Ryuji and Ann's faces and said, "I trust him. He doesn't have a reason to lie to us. We saved him after all."

"Alright…" Ann said with an unsure tone.

The group continued through the castle dungeons until they stopped in front of a room with two large double doors. "I heard something coming from this way," a knight said a few feet in front of them.

"Quick! Into that room," Morgana said as he opened one door and Ann opened the other, allowing for Ren to walk inside with Ryuji before they walked into the room and closed the door slowly.

"We safe in here?" Ryuji asked.

"We are," Morgana stated. "Kamoshida's cognition is weaker here than anywhere else, so he can't see all as he would in the rest of the palace," Morgana explained.

"His cogni-wha?" Ryuji asked.

"Cognition," Ren repeated. "It is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses," Ren explained. When he saw the blank expression Ryuji was given him, Ren flushed.

"Sorry. Essentially, Cognition refers to the concept of humans perceiving the world and viewing what they see as reality. When enough humans collectively perceive something, that concept becomes real," Ren explained.

"Huh…Wait, so that's like if uh…I bought a toy gun in here. If I believed it was real here, then it would be real!" Ryuji said with an excited tone.

"Exactly," Morgana said with a smile.

"But that doesn't explain what happened to our school," Ann said.

"It's simple, Lady Ann," Morgana began.

"Lady Ann?" Ryuji mouthed to Ren, who looked equally confused.

"This is your school," Morgana said. Moments after he said this, the room they were in briefly changed into a classroom before reverting to a room in the castle.

"Holy shit. Then that means that Kamoshida thinks of this place like his damn castle!" Ryuji exclaimed angrily.

"His castle…" Ann said. "He did have a crown, and those knights referred to him as "King Kamoshida," but to think he rules our school like this is so egotistical!"

"It makes me worried about how he perceives the students," Ren said.

While Ren saw a horrified expression on Ann's face, Ryuji's face showed a look of unfathomable rage. So much so that Ren could feel him trembling against him.

"The knights sound far away. We need to keep moving," Morgana told them before he pushed the door open.

The trio followed Morgana until the group reached a room with a vent on top of a dresser. "This is the exit to the place. You guys better get out of here," Morgana said.

"But what about you?" Ryuji asked.

"I still have something to look into," Morgana told them. "I'll be fine. Now get out of here."

"Alright. But don't get captured again and run as quick as you can if you do," Ren said sternly.

"Alright, alright," Morgana said. "Now go!"

Ann climbed up the dresser, pulled the vent from the wall, and helped Ren get Ryuji to it before wiggling her way inside of the vent after him.

Once the two were gone, Ren turned to Morgana and said, "Listen. I have a feeling we're going to be back here, so if we do, meet me or us outside of the castle."

"Really? You guys will want to come back?" Morgana asked suspiciously. "You all nearly got killed here."

Ren tapped the side of his head and said, "Things are pretty jumbled up here, but I know the gist of what this place is. You saw Ryuji's face when he saw that cognition of that student. I have a gut feeling that he will want to save them all."

"But I told him they weren't real," Morgana said.

"But they are real in the real world. If this place is what Kamoshida believes it is, then there is far more to what he's doing with the students in the real world," Ren replied.

Morgana was quiet for a moment before he said, "Alright. If you guys come back, I will be outside the castle."

"Dude, come on!" Ryuji's voice shouted from outside the vent.

"Thanks. See you then," Ren said before he leaped up the dresser and climbed through the vent.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shibuya (Daytime)  
Theme of Shibuya – Tokyo Daylight from Persona 5)**

"I can't believe we made it out of there," Ryuji said as he sat against the wall of an alleyway in the real world with Ann standing beside him, hunched over and panting.

Ren stood across from the pair panting as well. His clothes had returned to the Shujin academy attire, but they were heavily ripped up, and his face, like Ryuji and Ann's, was beginning to swell.

"From the look of the sky, we're back in the real world," Ann said.

"Great…I'm sure we're super late to school," Ren said. "Boy, my first day in this city, and this happens. Just my luck, eh?"

"Yeah," Ryuji said but a grin appeared on his still bleeding face. "But this gives me an idea on how we can get away with being so late."

Ren and Ann looked at the toothy grin of Ryuji's and then stared at one another, but it was Ren who replied, "How?"

"How well can you guys act?" Ryuji asked.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shujin Academy (Daytime)  
Theme of Shujin Academy: Want to be Close from Persona 3]**

"Oh my god! What happened to you three?" A teacher bellowed as the three came into view of Shujin Academy.

Before Ryuji's plan, the trio looked as if they were in a scuffle but now, they looked like they had just finished a war.

With permission from Ren, Ryuji had ripped the right sleeve of Ren's blazer and the white shirt beneath it, leaving his arm bare while Ren completely removed Ryuji's blazer and stuffed it into his book bag and ripped several areas of his shirt.

"These guys…" Ann said, tears filling her eyes. "T-They tried t-t-t…" Ann lowered her head and began to sob.

Unaware to the teacher, Ryuji and Ren were tickling the curve of her back to get the desired reaction.

"Takamaki-san was going to show me around," Ren said, playing up the exhaustion he felt. "But these guys tried to abduct her. Sakamoto-san and I followed them and saved her…"

"You foolish students," The teacher said. "You should have called the police."

"We did," Ryuji said. "Both those effing guys didn't answer!" Ryuji then winced and groaned out, "Even shouting hurts…"

"I see. Well, I will speak to the police regarding this at once," The teacher said. "Until then, let's get you three to the infirmary."

Behind the teacher's back, the three shared a grin before ascending the stairs, but when the trio entered the school, it was as if everything was put on mute.

"That's weird…" Ryuji muttered as he limped between Ann and Ren.

"What?" Ren asked.

"I've never seen an entire school shut the fuck up before," Ryuji said as they passed by several students who were gawking at them.

"Language Sakamoto," the teacher said while looking back at the group.

"Sorry," Ryuji said.

"This is so bizarre," Ann said with a frown.

"It can only get better from here, right?" Ren asked. At Ryuji and Ann's silence, Ren repeated, "Right?"


	4. The Tale of Blondes and Red Eyes! Back to the Castle!

**[Opening Scene –Shujin Academy (Daytime)  
Theme of Shujin Academy: Want to be Close from Persona 3]**

"And there you are, all cleaned and patched up," The nurse cooed to the trio.

"Thanks, Arisato-san," Ann said with a clap and a smile on her face.

"Anytime, dears. I have to run to get more supplies. You stay put until I get back," the nurse said before she walked out of the room.

A few seconds after the nurse left, Ryuji smirked and whispered, "See, easy as pie. We should thank that asshole for giving us the perfect alibi."

"Speaking of the bastard," Ann started. "What do we do when we see him again?"

Ren shut his eyes in thought. "I have a feeling that we should keep what happened between us for now. I doubt he has any idea about his castle."

"What makes you think that?" Ann asked.

"Just a hunch," Ren replied before he opened his eyes and added, "But if I'm wrong, we nail that asshole."

"My man," Ryuji said as he held out his fist for a fist bump, which Ren gave with a grin.

Ann gave the two a look before the nurse door swung open to reveal Kamoshida, which instantly put the three on edge.

**(Theme of Danger: Troubled from Persona 3)**

"Oh, Takamaki-chan. I just heard about what happened," Kamoshida said as he walked into the office and shut the door behind him.

"It's ok," Ann said with a smile. "Ryuji and Ren were there to help me."

"Yes…I am glad for that as well," Kamoshida said as he stared at Ren and Ryuji, both of which glared in response.

"You wouldn't have been in that situation had you taken the ride this morning," Kamoshida said. "So from here on out, I will drive you to and from school every day."

Ren and Ryuji shared a look of disgust, but before either could say anything, Ann frowned. "That is sweet and all, Kamoshida-san, but I can take care of myself. This was a one-off event that I doubt will happen again."

"But I insist," Kamoshida said.

"Dude, back off," Ryuji said heatedly.

"She said she doesn't need your help, so leave it at that," Ren followed up calmly.

"Haha, if you are sure, Takamaki-chan," Kamoshida said, but Ren could hear the undercurrent of anger in his voice.

'That's not good…' Ren thought.

"Well, I must be off. Have to get my star team in shape for the upcoming meet," Kamoshida said before he turned around and walked off, but Ren noticed his fist had been clenched.

"Remember what I said earlier before we walked in here?" Ren asked.

"That it can only get better from here?" Ann replied.

"Yeah, well…Call it a gut feeling, but I think things are going to get worse," Ren said forebodingly.

_"Amamiya Ren, Please report to the faculty office!"_

"Uh-oh. Speak about things getting worse," Ren muttered as he stood up. "Time to go face the music."

"Good luck, dude," Ryuji said with a smile as he held out his fist. Ren fist-bumped Ryuji and smiled at Ann before he walked out of the room.

Once Ren was gone, Ryuji turned to Ann and asked, "So, what do we do with what all we saw?"

Ann looked up at Ryuji, who was looking at her with a curious expression.

"I don't know," Ann answered. She honestly didn't want to talk about what she had seen. Not only because she was still stunned by it all but because she didn't want to see it.

She always knew Kamoshida was a creep. Hell, she used that knowledge to make sure Shiho was safe but to have it thrown into her face terrified her.

How could she keep protecting Shiho now that she was confronted with the darkest side of him?

But not only that, she wondered about Ren.

How was he able to summon that thing to save her and Ryuji from Kamoshida and those monsters?

She didn't know, but she didn't want to be involved in any of it.

But could she turn a blind eye to it all?

"How is your leg doing?" Ann asked, trying to redirect things.

"The same as always. It hurts like hell," Ryuji said bitterly, but he then perked up and added, "But you know what? It'll heal. Everything does in the end."

"You think so?" Ann asked.

"Yeah. I mean, at least I'm alive, you know? I would have been killed today if it hadn't been for Ren," Ryuji answered. "It gives me another chance to keep moving forward. Besides, it gives me just more ammo to stop Kamoshida."

 _' He truly hates Kamoshida…I wish I could ask him what his beef is with him…But I don't need any more reason to hate the man. I need to keep Shiho as a regular on the team for her future. That's all that matters. Nothing else…'_ Ann thought to herself sullenly.

But, it was then she remembered Ren's words.

_"Well…When I met Shiho yesterday, I had a brief image of this scene. It was of us three, and we were standing above her. She was on the ground, bleeding, and Ann, you were crying…"_

Shiho…

Something happened to Shiho, and it caused the scene Ren saw in his head. He stated he never met them before, but the moment he met her, he managed to see Shiho and herself and Ryuji there as well.

He had no reason to lie, but why would that appear in his head?

There were so many questions about Ren that she needed to sort through it all, and the only way she was going to do that was to talk to him.

Ann glanced at the clock on the wall and said, "Shit," as she stood up and picked up her school bag. "I better get to class. Kawakami-sensei is probably pissed off at me for missing a good chunk of the day," Ann told Ryuji with an apologetic smile, but Ryuji waved her off as he put away his cellphone.

"My mom is picking me up to go to the doctors about my leg," Ryuji said with a frown. "I'll be back tomorrow, so don't worry about me."

"You want me to let Ren know?" Ann asked him.

"Yeah. There are still a few questions I need to know," Ryuji said with a smirk.

"Alright… It was good to talk to you again after so long. Maybe we'll get a chance to talk more sometime," Ann said as she looked back at Ryuji and gave a small smile, but without warning, Shiho walked into the nurse's office with tears in her eyes.

"Ann!" Shiho exclaimed as she rushed to Ann and hugged her tightly.

"I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" Shiho asked after she pulled away.

"I'm fine. Although, how did you find out?" Ann asked her.

"Well, our classmates have been talking about it all day," Shiho said. "You showed up with Sakamoto-san and Amamiya-san, all three of you looking terrible. There were rumors that Amamiya-san hurt you guys."

"Him? Hurt us?" Ryuji asked with surprise. "Bullshit, he saved our asses."

"Yeah," Ann agreed. "I was taken by some guys. Ryuji and Ren fought for me, and we all got hurt. Those two worse than me."

"Hey, I got my ass kicked. Ren did all the work," Ryuji said with a laugh.

Ann turned around to the laughing delinquent and replied, "Don't put yourself down like that. You helped too. It wasn't all just him."

"Sure," Ryuji said with a small smile. "But all the same, Ren saved us. Why would people be saying some shit like that?"

"Well, before you three showed up, his records leaked. Everyone is talking about his criminal record," Shiho explained.

 _'Criminal Record?'_ Ann thought to herself.

"He has a criminal record? Him of all people?" Ryuji asked.

"From what the rumors said," Shiho answered. "But when I spoke to him yesterday, I didn't see anything that resembles how bad these rumors are."

"Besides, he was helping me get into the school," Ryuji stated. "Why would he beat Ann and me up only to help me and Ann get here? That's stupid."

"Exactly what I thought," Shiho said with a smile.

"I'll have to talk to him about it," Ryuji said before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and frowned. "That aside, classes are going to start soon. You two better get going. My mom is here to pick me up."

"Right," Ann said. "Come on, Shiho, let's get to class."

But Shiho shook her head. "I have to find Amamiya-san to thank him as well for keeping you safe," Shiho replied.

Ann then noticed Shiho's eyes shine with an idea. "I know; how about we go out to dinner? As thanks for being safe and sound. All four of us. My treat."

"Whoa," Ryuji said. "I'd be down for that."

Shiho smiled at him before she looked to Ann and asked, "What about you?"

 _'This is the first time in a long time I've seen her happy like this…'_ Ann noted with a slight frown on her face. But did she want Shiho to be involved with the new student? If these rumors were true, he was dangerous.

But then again, he saved her life today. Why shouldn't she give him the benefit of the doubt?

 _'Ugh, more questions!'_ Ann thought.

Ann leaned down to Shiho and whispered, "Shiho, you know I'm always ready to hang out with you, but are you sure you want to invite Amamiya-san? Those rumors about him…"

Shiho nodded with a larger than usual smile. "You're safe, and Sakamoto-san and Amamiya-san saved my best friend. It wouldn't feel right only having Sakamoto-san there and not the other person."

"Alright," Ann relented. "I have to get to class, but if I see Amamiya-san, I'll pass it on to him."

"Nonsense," Shiho said before she moved away from Ann. "I'll be asking him myself," she stated before she ran out of the room before Ann could stop her.

"Whew, she ran hella quick," Ryuji noted. "Guess she wanted to find him quickly."

"Yeah…" Ann said with a frown.

* * *

"Well, this is a wonderful start to your first day here," Kawakami stated as she stared at Ren.

"You're late to school, and when you do show up, you show up with the biggest troublemaker in Shujin in Sakamoto Ryuji and Takamaki Ann, looking like you've fought in a war."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress," Ren said with a dry tone.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Kawakami asked him with anger.

"In a cosmic sort of way, yeah," Ren replied.

"In a cosmic sort of way?" Kawakami repeated. "Well, let me bring you back down to Earth. You are here because no other school will accept you due to your record. You are one expulsion away from going to jail, and instead of keeping your head down, you wind up in a fight along with one of the biggest known delinquents. All on your first day at Shujin."

Ren shut his eyes and said, "Then in your infinite wisdom Kawakami-sensei, what should I have done? Leave Ryuji to die and leave Ann to a fate worse than it?"

Ren then opened his eyes which allowed Kawakami to see the anger within them. "You and everyone else may shy away from doing the right thing, but I refuse to do that. Yeah, doing what I did got me in this situation in the first place, but I don't regret it."

"You don't?" Kawakami asked in surprise.

"I don't. I did what I thought was right and paid for it by having my life ruined, but as long as I breathe, I will help anyone that cannot help themselves. Consequences be damned," Ren finished.

Kawakami could see that the youth believed the words that he had just spoken, and for a moment, she was impressed by the determination he held.

But these very same beliefs were going to get him killed, and judging from how he looked, he may have barely escaped that fate when he helped Ann and Ryuji.

For a moment, Kawakami thought that maybe she should intervene and steer him away from those thoughts and reform him properly, but she immediately thought against it.

She had tried to help someone once before, and look where that got her.

"I don't even know why I bother," Kawakami suddenly announced with a sigh. "Just…Try to keep your nose out of trouble."

"Alright," Ren said.

"I contacted your caretaker and explained what happened. You'll want to head straight home after school. He sounded a bit annoyed at this development," Kawakami explained.

"Thanks," Ren sighed out.

"Lunch will be ending in a few minutes. You can wait outside for me until I'm done. We will walk to class, and I'll introduce you to everyone. Until then, no more fights," Kawakami commanded wearily.

Ren nodded before Kawakami waved him off, but as he walked out the room, she couldn't help but watch him walk away.

He walked with his shoulders square and his head held high.

Who knew a criminal could have such ideals?

 _' Maybe there is more to him than I thought,'_ Kawakami thought.

An idea then formed in her head.

She may not be willing to put herself out there for a student, but she could see someone doing that.

She picked up her phone and dialed a few numbers before she asked, "Hey Principal, can you have Niijima Makoto come to the faculty office?"

* * *

Ren shut the door and took a deep breath.

His parents had raised him enough to know he shouldn't have talked back to his elders, but she threw his case in his face, which brought up some issues he had yet to work out.

But he never did learn how to keep his mouth shut.

"Amamiya-san!" a voice shouted from his left.

He turned his head to see Shiho coming towards him.

 _'Shiho? I wonder what she could want,'_ Ren thought to himself as Shiho stopped in front of him, looking slightly winded, but he could see a small smile on her face.

"Ann and Sakamoto-san told me what happened today. That you saved them both from these guys before school started," Shiho said.

"I only did what anyone would have done in my shoes," Ren said with a polite smile. "Hell, Ryuji was the one who led the charge. I just followed."

"Sakamoto-san said you were the one who took charge. He only took punches. They both credit you with saving them, and I want to thank you properly," Shiho said before leaned forward in a deep bow.

Ren could hear the various students whispering about him and quickly leaned Shiho back up as he said, "Don't worry about it."

Shiho looked at him and said, "You know, there are rumors about you being a criminal being spread around school. They had been since this morning, but you act nothing like those rumors…"

"Thanks?" Ren replied, but inwardly, he thought, _' Rumors? What rumors?'_

"I have v-volleyball practice after school, but…I would like to take you out for dinner," Ren couldn't help but smile as Shiho's face flushed.

 _' She must have figured out what her proposal sounded like,'_ Ren thought.

"I-I mean," Shiho said with a stammer. "A-As thanks for saving Ann from something evil. I invited Ann and Sakamoto-san as well, so it won't be j-just us."

"I won't be able to tonight," Ren regretfully said. "I have to report to my caretaker immediately after school."

"O-Oh…" Shiho said, but then Ren watched her eyes slightly brighten as she replied, "I have practice tomorrow…So how about the day after tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to," Ren said with a smile.

Shiho smiled at him and said, "I'll talk to Ann and Sakamoto-kun about the day after tomorrow. I look forward to it."

"As do I," Ren replied, only to grin when Shiho's face heated up once again.

Just then, a sullen-looking boy walked up to Shiho, and Ren said, "Shiho-san…Kamoshida-sensei requests your presence…"

Ren saw the smile fall from Shiho's face at the mention of Kamoshida, but she immediately forced one on her face and said, "Thanks Mishima-kun."

Shiho then turned to Ren and said, "I-I must go, but I will see you soon," before she ran off, leaving Ren alone in the hallway, but he didn't miss that regretful look that sullen teen had shot him before he left.

 _' I wonder what that was about?'_ Ren thought before the bell rung.

Kawakami walked out of the room and said, "Come on, let's go."

* * *

Ann had to admit. She felt terrible for Ren.

The minute Kawakami introduced him; the classroom immediately rebuked him. They were openly talking about how they didn't want the criminal in their room. Despite his introduction being kind sounding, she could see the sadness in his gray eyes.

He didn't look like the confident person he was in that castle. Nor did he look like the criminal she had briefly believed he was.

He looked like a sad student surrounded by a storm of rumors.

Just like she was.

And while that didn't make the dozens of questions she had about him go away, it made her more sympathetic to him.

"Why don't you take a seat behind Takamaki-san," Kawakami said.

She watched as Ren walked down the row, but Ann took his hand before he could walk past her, which caused him to look at her in surprise.

She gave him a small smile and a squeeze of his hand before she released it, hoping he got her message within her little action.

He nodded with a smile and sat behind her.

_"Oh wow, she grabbed his hand."_

_"Are they together?"_

_"She's cheating on Kamoshida with him? Or maybe the other way around."_

_"They must be together. He was seen carrying her with Sakamoto Ryuji earlier today."_

She sighed.

"Thanks," Ren whispered from behind her.

She looked back at him and gave a small smile.

"You're welcome…" She replied.

She wasn't sure about what to do with Ren before in the nurse's office, but now she felt more at ease about him.

But she still had too many questions about him. Ann took out a piece of paper and wrote, _"Meet me on the roof after school,"_ on it before she reached back and quickly placed it on his desk while he wasn't looking.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shujin (Afternoon)  
Theme of Meeting - My Homie from Persona 5]**

School had ended, and Ren found himself walking up the stairs to the roof from the note Ann had passed to him.

He opened the door, and the first thing he noticed was a girl sitting on the roof.

The girl had chin-length curly light auburn hair and brown eyes, and she wore a pink turtleneck cardigan that was zipped up to her navel with two large pockets on the front and short puffed sleeves and a long-sleeved white shirt underneath.

She also wore the standard black and red tartan skirt, white tights with a black flower pattern, and black Mary Jane shoes, and she was sitting on the far edge of the roof and looked to be planting something.

She was so engrossed in what she was doing; she didn't even notice that he was on the roof.

"Whew," She said with a smile as she wiped the sweat off her brow. "All finished."

"It looks nice," Ren said with a smile, which made the girl jump before turning around to face him, a shocked expression on her face.

"O-Oh hi," the girl stammered. "You startled me."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Ren said with raised hands. "I've been here for a few minutes now. I didn't have the heart to disturb you."

"Thanks," she said with a small laugh. "You must be the new student here."

"How can you tell?" Ren asked.

"You've been heavily talked about all day. From your looks to how you showed up and why you are here," she explained.

"I hope you don't believe all that you've heard," Ren said.

The girl giggled faintly and said, "You seem nice. Nothing like the rumors so far."

"Thanks," Ren said. "I have that going for me, which is nice."

The girl giggled again as she stood up and walked past Ren, which made him turn around. "I'm Amamiya Ren. I hope to see you around sometime."

The girl turned back and said, "I'm sure you will, Ren-san," before she turned away and walked through the door.

Seconds later, Ann walked through the door and said, "You made it."

"Well, I figured it was you who left the note. But I got to meet another student. She seems nice," Ren said.

"Ah, you mean the girl I just passed? She doesn't talk much to anyone," Ann said. "But I'll take your word for it."

"Awesome. So, what did you want to speak about?" Ren asked.

"I want to know who you are," Ann said.

"I'm Amamiya Ren," Ren said with a blank tone.

"No…Who you _really_ are, smartass," Ann replied with narrowed eyes.

"I…" Ren began. "I don't know what you mean, truthfully."

"Before I came up here, I went to gather all these rumors about you. I know you're not some evil monster that hurts everyone. You saved my life. Ryuji's as well. But there is a lot more to you than meets the eye. I want to know more about you," Ann told him.

Ren looked out to the horizon, his eyes closing for a moment before he opened his eyes and asked, "Where is Ryuji?"

Ann blinked.

"He went home early. He should be here tomorrow. Why?" Ann questioned.

"Tomorrow…I'm going back to the castle," Ren said. "There is something I need to find out."

"You know how to go back?" Ann asked.

"I have an idea, but I'm not quite sure how to achieve it. All I know is that I need Ryuji here to get to the castle," Ren said told her.

"But there is something else," Ann stated.

"There is something else," Ren confirmed. "Something is going on at this school, and the castle is just the start of it. And seeing your schoolmates in the castle makes me wonder about how Kamoshida views all of the students, but since I just got here, I don't know anyone."

Ren then let out a sad sigh and added, "And now, with my record exposed, I don't think anyone would want to help me."

Ann thoughtfully nodded before she said, "So you want to find them in the castle and match them up to the real ones? Something Ryuji and I can help you with..."

Ren smirked as he turned back to her and said, "Humankind cannot obtain anything without first giving something in return. Something of equal value must be lost. That is the law of equivalent exchange."

"So for you to tell us who you are, you need our help in playing Guess Who with the students essentially?" Ann questioned.

Ren nodded.

Ann crossed her arms and stared at him for what felt like years before she said, "Truthfully? I don't want to stick my nose into whatever that castle is, nor do I want to involve myself in this shitty place…"

"But something has been worrying me. It was what you said about Shiho. About h-how we were around her, and she was on the ground, bleeding. I can't ignore that. So if that means helping you in your goal to stop Shiho from her fate, I will do it."

"And in turn, I'll give you all of who I am and all that I know," Ren replied as he held out his hand to her.

Ann looked at his hand before she nodded and placed her hand in his and gave it a shake.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Café LeBlanc (Evening)  
Theme of Café LeBlanc - Beneath the Mask From Persona 5]**

"W-Whoa…" Ren stammered out with a slight blush as he stared at the woman sipping tea at the shop's counter.

The woman had dark blue hair in a messy bob-cut with blunt bangs and brown eyes. She has red nail polish on her fingernails and toenails and a black studded necklace choker that connects to multiple necklaces.

She was wearing a short black jacket, a blue dress with a white spider-web design, and black ripped leggings, a red grommet belt, and strappy black platform high heels.

"Well, I better get back to it. Thanks for the tea Sojiro-san," The woman said with a bored expression on her face. She slid her stool back and walked towards the door where Ren stood and gave a slight grin.

"You're drooling," she said.

Ren looked at her and stammered out, "A-Ah. Sorry."

"Don't sweat it, kid," she replied before she eyed him closely. "Hm…Judging from your injures, you must have gotten into a fight with some tough individuals," She stated as she moved his face from left to right to observe him.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ren asked, his face still heated.

"She's a doctor," Sojiro said as he washed a few dishes. "She's just up the road. Pretty good at it, too, despite the nickname she has."

"Although…Don't injury yourself just to see me, I will kick you out," She said, but Ren couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

"These will heal up in a few days, provided you don't get into another fight," She concluded. "If they start to feel puffy, sore, or start to look infected, come by my office," She said. "I can't do much, but at least I can get you well enough."

Ren nodded.

"Good. I'm Takemi Tae. Remember, come when injured. Anything else, and I'll boot you out of my office," Tae said before she walked out of the shop, leaving Ren with Sorijo.

"Well, at least she says they will heal," Sojiro said. "What were you thinking, kid? Missing half a day? Fighting? The only good thing that came out of this was helping those two students!"

Ren sighed at Sojiro's shout and replied wearily, "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I couldn't let them get hurt. Now when I could stop it. Kawakami-sensei gave me the third degree. I will not let it happen again."

Sojiro nodded and replied, "Good. I don't mean to yell, but you have a lot at risk."

"I know," Ren replied.

"With that aside, your teacher also called her just a bit ago before you got in. She says for you to meet her first thing in the morning. She wants to introduce you to the student council president at the school. Seeing as you were the student council president at your old school, I think it would be a good idea."

Ren could hear the sound of a motorcycle and the yell of, _"Charge, Johanna!"_ within his mind.

Weird.

With that strange thought aside, that truthfully did sound like a good idea.

"I also put in a good word for you for the Volleyball team," Sojiro said, which caused Ren's blood to run cold.

"Since their track team was disbanded, I suggested it would be good for you to join the Volleyball team as a former captain. With that Kamoshida guy there, you're bound to go to a good school if you follow his lead," Sojiro continued.

"You didn't have to do that, Sojiro-san," Ren said kindly, but inwardly he was panicked.

But then he calmed down suddenly.

Joining the Volleyball team would be the perfect opportunity for Ren to get familiar with those in there and see what Kamoshida does for them.

"But thank you for doing that for me, Sojiro-san. I won't let you down," Ren said with a genuine, if not devious, smile on his face.

* * *

**[Scene Change – The Velvet Room  
Theme of the Velvet Room– Velvet Room from Persona 2: Innocent Sin]**

"Welcome back to **my** Velvet Room, Trickster," Igor said with an amused grin.

Ren walked up to the front of his cell and said, "Good to be back? Anyways, what's going on, long nose?"

"The sheer audacity of you inmate!" Caroline exclaimed, but Ren waved her off with a disarming grin.

"Now, now, short stuff. Adults are talking," Ren retorted and took a step back as Caroline slammed her baton against the cell bars, causing electricity to streak across them.

"Now, prisoner, what do you have to gain from angering my sister?" Justine questioned.

"I like teasing her," Ren replied with a grin. "She's so uptight. She needs to learn to loosen up, or else, she'll regret it."

"You'll regret teasing me, inmate!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Sure I will, kiddo," Ren replied with a grin, ignoring the second blow to his cell's bars.

Once the electricity died out, Ren leaned against the cell and said to Justine, "This place is so damned sad. I will say this; the opera-like singing is magnificent but mournful. How do you guys live with this?"

"You get used to it," Justine responded with a bored expression.

"Hopefully, I won't have to," Ren replied. "Now back to you, Igor. You said something about rehabilitation last time we spoke. I need some sort of explanation on that."

Igor connected his fingers and said, "Ah, that. So first thing, I see you've awakened to an extraordinary power during your stay with the lustful king. Good, now we can start on correcting your life with rehabilitation."

"So awakening Arsène is a start to this process?" Ren asked. "What is Arsène anyways?"

"He is your Persona," Igor replied. "Personas are the armor of your heart that you use to face the outside world—a mask if you will. Everyone has a dormant persona within them waiting to awaken, but you, you are special that you can have multiple Personas within you."

"Neat," Ren said with a grin. "So what's the angle here? You give me this power, and I do what with it?"

"All in due time," Igor replied. "But I have high hopes for you and the process of rehabilitation."

"Also neat," Ren replied.

"By the way, do you like the other world navigation?" Igor asked.

"You mean that weird eye app thing?" Ren asked.

"Yes, the weird eye thing," Justine replied. "It is a Navigation device that you can use to go between the palace and the real world. It is something that will help you be a better thief."

"Again, very neat, but am I the only one who has this ability to go from Palace to the real world? That would be really troublesome if so," Ren stated.

"I know that using the otherworld navigation by yourself will be quite lonely. If there's someone that wants to help, you can give them the other world navigation," Igor replied.

"Do I get a choice in who uses it, and if so, how do I give it to them?" Ren asked.

"Once they go into the palace realm, they have the app as well but be warned, if they are not Persona users, there is a certain risk to letting them have it," Igor warned.

"It's time for you to go, inmate," Caroline said with a frown.

"Is it?" Ren asked. "I guess I do feel a little lighter than before. Well, I'll see you guys later!"

"Enjoy your rest," Justine said.

* * *

**[Scene Change –Shujin Academy (Morning)  
Theme of Shujin Academy: Want to be Close from Persona 3]**

"Ah, you're here, Amamiya-san. Very prompt," Kawakami told Ren once he stood in front of her.

Both Sojiro and Kawakami forgot to tell Ren where he was supposed to meet his homeroom teacher, so he took a chance and went to the faculty room where she was thankfully waiting for him.

"Thanks," Ren replied with a polite smile. "So, I was told you wanted me to meet the student council president of this school, is that correct?"

"That is correct," Kawakami said as she pushed herself off the wall and began to walk, prompting Ren to follow her.

"So in your profile, it showed that you were the student council president of your school as well, is that correct?" Kawakami asked.

"Of course," Ren confirmed. "Beneath this handsome exterior of mine holds the brain of a hard-working genius."

Kawakami snorted, but Ren could see the hint of a grin on her lips.

"I've been curious about something," Kawakami said after a few minutes of silence between them. "You said you saw me before when we first met, right?"

"Yeah," Ren replied.

"Something has been nagging at me. Your caretaker said you might have seen me around the city, but I don't live in the city, so how have you seen me before?" Kawakami questioned.

"Well, I…" Ren began before his mind flashed to a surprising sight.

There was a brief image of him standing in front of a maid.

The maid had pigtails, and she looked rather beautiful, but there was something very familiar about her…

"Amamiya-san?" Kawakami said as she waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of the vision.

"Do you work as a maid?" Ren asked immediately but in a hushed tone.

Kawakami's face took on a look of horror that Ren only saw once in his life, and that was of his first girlfriend during a particular brutal scare in some horror movie from the past.

"W-What did you ask?" Kawakami asked him with a stammer.

"Nothing," Ren said swiftly; not wanting to go down the road he idiotically set himself down.

Why could he not keep his big-mouth shut?!

"N-No, that's not nothing," Kawakami stuttered out.

"Let's just continue to walk," Ren said, his eyes staring straight ahead, so he didn't look at the terrified teacher beside him.

"Y-Yes. Let's," was Kawakami's shaky reply.

The two walked in silence before they came across the student council door. Kawakami cleared her throat and gave the door a quick knock, and after a moment, it opened to reveal a girl.

The girl had brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matches her hair color.

She wore the standard Shujin academy uniform, except she didn't wear the blazer. Instead, she wore a black halter vest over a long-sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck, which looked different from the normal turtlenecks he had seen the other females wear.

But it was her eyes that caught his attention.

They were red.

It honestly took him by surprise by how red they were.

_"I don't even know what you are now, but you're not the Ren I fell in love with…Goodbye…"_

_"So no matter what happens in the future, no matter how bad it gets, stand tall and don't give up! And when you ever find yourself lost and not knowing where to go, never forget that I will always be there by your side."_

Ren let out a subtle sigh.

Between _her_ and his traitorous ex-girlfriend, red eyes were either a blessing or a curse in his life. Hopefully, Makoto would be the former and not the latter.

 _' Between Shiho, Ann, that flower girl, Tae, Kawakami-sensei, and now Makoto, everyone in this damn city is super attractive!'_ Ren thought. _'Like…For real!'_

"Ah, hello, Amamiya-san. I am Niijma Makoto. The Student Council president of Shujin Academy," Makoto said as she held out her right hand to him.

"Amamiya Ren. It is a pleasure to meet a fellow president," Ren said as he shook her hand with a grin, ignoring the yell of _'Fist of Justice!'_ in this head.

"Kawakami-sensei spoke to me about joining the Student Council. Given your previous achievements as a president, I accept you as a member. We have meetings every Tuesday and Wednesday. I have told Kawakami-sensei that you are to sit in on our meeting today just so you know how things work at Shujin," Makoto explained.

"Join the Student council?" Ren asked, surprised. Sojiro nor Kawakami mentioned that. I thought they just wanted him to meet the president. "Well, sure. I'll be happy to sit in and learn the ropes about how Shujin does it here," Ren added with a smile.

"Good," Makoto replied with a smile. "Come with me, and we'll fill out the paperwork for it," Makoto told him before she looked to Kawakami and said, "I will bring him to class once we are finished."

"Good!" Kawakami said with a brief shout, startling both Ren and Makoto from the suddenness of it. "I'll be in class. Behave yourself, Amamiya-san," she told him before she walked away, leaving the two teens alone.

"Follow me," Makoto ordered as she walked into the room.

Ren walked into the council room and was hit immediately by a headache.

The room wavered briefly around him, and he found himself in the safe room of Kamoshida's castle shortly before the room wavered again, and Makoto was in front of him with a concerned expression on her face.

"Are you alright?" Makoto questioned.

"I-I'm fine…" Ren replied. "Just got a bit shaken up."

"I understand," Makoto said. "With all the rumors you have swirling around you, you have every right to be shaken up."

"Thanks, at least someone understands," Ren said as he sat down in a chair.

"For the record, I know of the rumors, and I decided not to believe them. As my favorite song says, _' But men, they say a lot of foolish things. And in the end, the only words I can find to believe in are mine.'_ What you say and what you do will determine to me what the truth is and what is a deception," Makoto told him as she placed a book before him.

"That's…Actually fair. So you'll judge me on my words and actions alone," Ren summarized.

"That sounds right," Makoto replied.

"Ya know Niijima-san? I think we're going to get along great," Ren said with a grin.

After an hour and a half of filling out paperwork, Ren and Makoto sat in their chairs and leaned against them with a groan.

"I can't believe that took so long to finish," Makoto said as she rubbed her wrist. "I'm afraid of getting carpal tunnel after filling all of that out."

"Tell me about it. I forgot how many papers we had to sign in the student council," Ren said as he rubbed his wrist.

The two stood up from their chairs and headed for the door, but that's when they heard Kamoshida's voice on the other side of it.

(Theme of Danger: Troubled from Persona 3)

Ren immediately pulled Makoto away from the door, much to her surprise. "What the!" Makoto exclaimed when he dragged her back.

 _"Hold on,"_ Ren whispered to her.

 _"Hold on for what?"_ Makoto whispered back.

Ren shook his head and crept to the window and peeked out of the curtains to see Ann's back and Kamoshida's smug face. Moments later, Makoto's face appeared beneath his, both of them watching.

"So Takamaki-chan, you've been avoiding me lately," Kamoshida's voice rang out.

"I'm sorry, Kamoshida-san," Ann's defeated voice replied. "I've been busy with modeling and recently went to the doctors about a few things. I'm sorry I made you worry."

"It's no problem, Takamaki-chan. You are my favorite student after all," Kamoshida said with a laugh.

Ren narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"Anyways, I came here to warn you. I've heard some unsavory rumors about the student that helped you and Sakamoto," Kamoshida said. "I want you to stay away from him. He's going to be nothing but trouble, and I don't want my favorite student to be dragged down by him or that meddlesome Sakamoto."

'Of course, he tries to pull this shit,' Ren thought, sneering at the possessive tone Kamoshida possessed when he spoke to Ann.

"He saved my life. Ren and Ryuji both," Ann replied. "I'm not going to let some rumors get in the way of a good guy. Thanks for worrying about me, but I'll be okay."

Ren didn't hear Kamoshida say anything for a moment and peaked from around the corner and saw him handing her a note. He watched as Ann looked down at the letter, and then he saw tears begin to form in her eyes.

The pair saw a victorious smirk on Kamoshida's face before he turned around and walked away.

'That's not a good sign,' Ren thought before he stepped back and said to Makoto, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine," Makoto replied with a frown before she asked, "But what was that about?"

"I don't know why but I feel like Kamoshida has it out for me, and it may be because of Ann," Ren said.

"But you've only been here a day," Makoto said.

"I know, but did you hear what he said about me?" Ren asked. "I know I have these rumors going about, but for a teacher to outright tell them to stay away from me sucks. Not to mention how possessive he sounded."

"I noticed that as well," Makoto replied.

"And whatever he gave her made Ann run away in near tears," Ren finished. "All of that because of me, someone who, as she said, saved her life."

"Yeah…So what do you propose we do? Investigate this?" Makoto questioned.

"We are student councilmen," Ren replied. "And from one president speaking to another, it would be pathetic of us if we didn't."

"You think so?" Makoto asked.

"Of course. I came from Gorin Academy. At Gorin, the student council was looked up to by all the students that resided there. We swore an oath to help all of those in need, which is my personal creed as well. Any of my peers that went back on that creed was instantly expelled. No one was exempt. Not even me."

Ren shut his eyes and added, "I've been here a single day and noticed a lot of issues in this place. How sad the students are to how everyone treats Kamoshida as a king. We would be fools to ignore it."

"There is some truth to your words, but I am still unsure. I will think about what you said, and if I come to the same conclusion as you, I will help you," Makoto said. "In the meantime, let's get to cla-"

Without warning, there was a knock on the door, startling the pair. Ren and Makoto exchanged a glance before Ren opened the door and Kamoshida with a giant grin on his face, but Ren could see the malice behind that grin.

"Ah, just the person I wanted to see," Kamoshida said to Ren. He then looked to Makoto and said, "And there is the beautiful Student Council president."

"Hello, Kamoshida-sensei," Makoto said, her voice sounding put off.

"Well, anyway, I received a call from Kawakami about what your caretaker said about you being interested in the Volleyball team."

"Interested being a strong word," Ren said. "Continue."

Kamoshida seemed taken aback by Ren's dry words, but that boisterous grin appeared once again as he said, "Lucky for you, a spot just opened up on my team, and I decided to invite you onto my illustrious team."

"I accept," Ren said with a polite smile.

Kamoshida's grin seemed to deepen at this. "Good…We're having a meet in tomorrow. You can play in the game then."

Ren nodded, and Kamoshida left the room, leaving Ren and Makoto alone in the room.

"You accepted his invitation," Makoto noted.

Ren merely smirked. "I know."

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shibuya (Afternoon)  
Theme of Meeting - My Homie from Persona 5]**

"What?!" Ann exclaimed as she stood in front of Ren in the alleyway in front of the school.

"Yeah, my caretaker decided to put in a good word for me to join the volleyball team, and Kamoshida invited me. I accepted it," Ren said.

"It sounds like a hella bad idea," Ann said with a cross of her arms.

"I'll save the regret until tomorrow…Speaking of which, what happened in the hallway with Kamoshida?" Ren asked her.

"It's nothing," Ann hastily replied. "Just something I have to worry about."

Ren frowned and opened his mouth before he shut it. He knew there was something wrong with Ann, but what could it be?

"Yo guys!" Ryuji's voice shouted from behind them. Ann and Ren turned around and waved at Ryuji, who hunched over and panted heavily. "Whew, I must be getting fat. I used to run faster than that in Track."

"Oh? You were on the track team?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, was one of the best," Ryuji replied. "But enough about that. What's up, guys?"

"Nothing much," Ann replied. "Talking about how Ren's caretaker is signing him up to Kamoshida's Volleyball team."

"Oh shit, that's bad," Ryuji said.

"That's what I said," Ann replied. "But he thinks it's a good idea."

"Seriously? What makes you think that?" Ryuji asked.

"Well, I was admittedly worried at first, but this may be the opportunity we need to observe what he does to them," Ren said before he paused. "Hey, do you two have this app on your phones?" Ren asked as he held up his phone to the pair.

Ryuji and Ann pulled out their phones and blinked in shock when they saw the same strange app on their phones that Ren had.

"Yeah…How did that get here?" Ryuji asked.

"This app allows us to go from our world to that other one," Ren explained. "The guy with the long nose made it for me and my allies."

"Guy with a long…" Ryuji murmured before he shook his head. "Forget it. But this will allow us to go back to that place?"

"Yeah," Ren replied.

"That's awesome!" Ryuji exclaimed. "This will be the perfect chance to see if any more of our schoolmates are in his castle."

Ann nodded and looked to Ren and asked, "Ready?"

Ren nodded and started to press the app on his cell phone until Ann's phone began to ring.

Ann pulled out her phone and said, "It's Shiho…She texted me about something important. I need to go be with her."

Ren nodded and said, "Ryuji and I will go ahead. Keep us posted."

Ann nodded at the two boys and ran off, and once she was in the clear, Ryuji asked, "You sure you want to leave without her?"

"I'm sure. We need to gather faces, and as much as I want Ann here with us, Shiho is also a concern," Ren said with a frown on his face.

Ryuji nodded and said, "Then press that app, bro."

Ren pressed the app, and the world began to change.


	5. The Electrifying Ryuji! A Twisted Web grows Deeper

**[Opening Scene – Palace of Lust (?)  
Theme of the Palace: King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5]**

"You came back," Morgana said with an impressed tone in his voice. "You even bought the blond one with you, but where is Lady Ann?"

"She couldn't make it, unfortunately," Ren replied with a smile. "So it's just us."

"Yeah, sorry about that, but I'm sure Takamaki misses you," Ryuji said with a grin. "So lil'cat, I've been thinking about what you guys said yesterday about Cognition. I think you guys called it that, right?"

Both Ren and Morgana nodded, with Morgana adding, "I'm not a cat but go on…"

"Awesome. So you guys said that this place is Kamoshida's Cognition. He views the school like his castle, and those inside of it aren't the real people, but what he thinks of them, right?" Ryuji questioned.

Again, Morgana and Ren nodded.

"I know we can't save them from this place, but I have a damn good memory when it comes to faces so, I want to see if we can find any more students like Ikari so we can ask the real versions about how Kamoshida treats them," Ryuji said.

Morgana grinned and looked to Ren and said, "It seems you two had the same idea after all. You were right."

"You thought about this too?!" Ryuji exclaimed in surprise.

Ren nodded and replied, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're new here, dude," Ryuji said, surprised. "I didn't think you cared enough to want to investigate what Kamoshida was doing without knowing anyone…"

"I'm like that sometimes," Ren said with a smile. "I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I didn't help those in need."

"Whoa…" Ryuji said. "That's pretty rad. I heard the rumors about you today, but with how you saved our asses yesterday and hearing you say that, you're nothing like that say. You're pretty selfless."

"I can say the same to you, Sakamoto-san," Ren replied. "You didn't hesitate to step in front of Ann when she was in danger. Hell, when she was about to give in, you even spurred her on to not give into him, despite getting hurt in the process. That takes selflessness as well."

"Awww, don't have me blush here," Ryuji said with a grin on his face. "I just didn't want to see her hurt, is all."

Both Ren and Ryuji laughed a bit before Ren said, "Come on, let's go find these guys."

"Luckily, we don't have to go far," Morgana said. "After you guys left, I continued with my mission and came across the basement of the castle where more of your classmates were seen. It's called the "Training Hall of Love." Whatever that means."

"Awesome! Let's go check it out!" Ryuji exclaimed before Morgana glared at him.

"Not so loud, you idiot! You'll attract the knights!" Morgana hissed out.

"Aww shit, my bad," Ryuji replied.

Ren laughed and said, "Come on."

"Oh! Before we go in!" Ryuji exclaimed, only to wince in when Morgana gave him another glare.

"I also remembered I had these bad boys," Ryuji said before he reached back into his schoolbag. After rummaging in it for a few minutes, his eyes lit up before he pulled out a gun, a slingshot, and some medicine with a "Ta-da!"

"Ryuji, you brought a gun here?!" Ren exclaimed in shock.

"Keep it down!" Morgana shouted.

"You too!" Ryuji hissed out, making Morgana cover his mouth with a sheepish grin behind his paws.

"It's not real. Remember what you said yesterday about cognition? Well, I figured what if I bought a toy gun here, right? If we think it's real, it becomes real. Well, since you guys will be fighting those things, they would think the gun is real."

"That's a genius idea," Morgana said. "But you do realize that you only brought one of them, right?"

"Yeah. I couldn't figure out what to get you since we have opposable thumbs, so I got you this slingshot. If they think it'll hurt, it will hurt them," Ryuji replied.

"You thought a lot about this for just discovering this place yesterday. And here I pegged you as an idiot at first," Morgana said with a teasing grin as he grabbed the slingshot while Ren grabbed the medicine and pocketed it.

"Hey, thanks I- Wait a minute, you thought I was an idiot, you smol ass cat?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"I'm not a "Smol ass Cat!" I'm a human!" Morgana replied in a shout before he grew confused and asked, "What is a "Smol" anyways?"

"It's like the cute version of saying "Small." My mom says it all the time about random stuff. Come to think of it; she'd find you super adorable," Ryuji said.

"I'm not adorable…" Morgana said with a glum tone.

"Thanks for the gun," Ren said, not bothering to hide his amusement as he took the gun from Ryuji's hand. "Come on. We've wasted enough time."

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shujin Academy (Daytime)  
Theme of Bitterness: Confession, Secret (Piano Ver.) From Persona 5]**

"I came as fast as I could."

Shiho looked up and saw a somewhat downtrodden Ann looking back at her. 'Something must be bothering her…' Shiho thought with a frown gracing her face.

Ann sat down beside her and asked, "What's going on, and how can I help?"

"I think I should be asking you that," Shiho replied. "You look exactly how I feel."

"Oh…I'm sorry, Shiho-chan. I have a lot on my mind," Ann said before she shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's just me being stupid, that's all."

Shiho frowned and suddenly smacked Ann's arm, which caused her to shriek in surprise. "Don't call yourself stupid," Shiho said with a frown on her face. "You are so far from that; it's not even funny."

"Ow…okay, okay…Didn't have to hit so hard," Ann said as she rubbed her arm with a pout. "And stop trying to cheer me up. I'm here to do that to you."

The two girls shared a small smile before Shiho gripped her wrist in pain, which prompted Ann to frown. "You're injured…" she muttered before she smacked Shiho on the arm and said, "You hit me with your injured hand, you jerk."

Shiho laughed in exhaustion and replied, "I'm ok. This is pretty standard before a tournament. I'll heal…"

"You look exhausted, Shiho-chan…Did you get any sleep last night?" Ann asked.

Shiho sighed and looked down at the ground. "I couldn't sleep last night," Shiho began. "When I close my eyes, I think about a lot of things that I shouldn't…"

"Shiho…" Ann said, taking her friend's hand in her own.

"It's almost time for nationals, y'know?" Shiho continued. "I guess I'm just wondering if I'm truly a star member of the team…I-I mean…All I know how to do is play volleyball. If I can't do that, what good am I?"

"You're just letting nerves get to you, Shiho," Ann said with a supportive squeeze. "Your skills have been recognized, and you try harder than anyone else. I've watched you practice. You leave it all on the field every time."

"I know but practicing as much as I do…It doesn't look like I'm getting better," Shiho said with a sigh.

Ann stood up from her spot and crouched in front of Shiho and took both of her hands, and said, "Believe me when I saw, you are a magnificent volleyball player. One of the best in our school. Whoever got this in your head that you aren't good is lying to you. Straight up. And you know me, I don't say something like that likely, and if I have to kick the ass of the person saying this, I will."

Shiho looked into Ann's eyes and saw the truth within them, and gave a bitter smile. "I wish you could…B-But…The one who is saying this is Kamoshida-sensei…" Shiho told her.

She noticed that Ann's jaw seemed to clench at that name. "What else has he been saying to you?" Ann asked her.

Shiho looked away hesitantly, but Ann's hand left her own and touched her face and gently, prompting Shiho to look at Ann's concerned face. "What else has he been saying to you?" Ann repeated firmly.

"Shiho-san," Mishima's voice rang out, causing both Ann and her head to swivel towards him.

"It's Kamoshida-sensei…" Mishima said softly. "He requests your presence…"

Shiho flinched before she turned to the sullen teen and asked, "Why?"

"I-I don't know…" Mishima said.

Shiho looked back to Ann and said, "Um…I…I have to go see what Kamoshida-sensei needs…"

"Can't you stay?" Ann asked. "Why don't we try eating some delicious cream cheese puffs instead?"

Shiho offered a small smile and shook her head. "I n-need to see what he needs."

"Ok…" Ann murmured.

"It's ok. It's only a meeting. What's t-the worse that could happen?" Shiho asked, trying to boost up her worried friend's mood.

"Alright…I'll see you later then, ok? Call me the minute you're done," Ann said.

"I promise," Shiho said before the two shared a brief hug.

Shiho then stood up and let out a small sigh before she turned back to Ann and said, "We are still o-on for tomorrow with Sakamoto-san and Amamiya-san, right?"

"Oh! Right!" Ann said, perking up a bit. "We're still on until told otherwise."

Shiho gave her a slightly wider smile and said "Thanks…" before she turned away and walked, her smile fading away into a look of despair.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Palace of Lust (?)  
Theme of the Palace: King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5]**

"Oh my god…" Ren whispered while Ryuji and Morgana stared with looks of shock on their face.

In front of them was a large chamber that held all of the male students. Some students ran on never-ending treadmills while others were pelted repeatedly from volleyballs being fired out of a cannon while being hung upside down.

"Man, this is pretty awful. He views these people as slaves in the real world," Morgana said with a frown on his face.

"Fucking Kamoshida!" Ryuji shouted. "Slaves! Is this what he thinks of us? Of his team?!"

One of the students that looked familiar to the pair looked at them and said, "P-Please…Stay quiet, so we don't get executed…"

"I know they are just what Kamoshida thinks they are, but this is too much. Just what the hell is going on at this school?" Ren questioned as he pulled out his phone to take pictures of the teens but frowned when the images didn't work.

Ryuji looked on helpless at the torture of his schoolmates and whispered, "Back when I was on the Track Team, he trained us like this. He trained us to the bone until we were nothing but dust. Hell, calling it training is an understatement. It was more like corporal punishment but seeing it this way. Seeing what he thinks of us. I-It infuriates me."

"Ryuji…" Ren began. "I know Kamoshida is terrible. I get that, but I need to know. What makes you hate him so much?"

Ryuji stayed quiet, his eyes gazing upon the male volleyball students tortured before he shut his eyes.

"I was the Ace of the Track Team," Ryuji began quietly. "One of the best, in fact, but then the school hired Kamoshida. One by one, all of the sports teams were disbanded before he made it ours. He trained us just like this, but none of us gave in. We took the abuse he gave because, to us, the track team was worth the torture. Until one day, he went too far with his abuse and bad-mouthed my mother."

Ryuji balled up his fists hard enough that blood began to fall from them. "My mother is one of the strongest people in my life. Mom protected me against my dad so often to the point she would be beaten if she protected got in the way. She's the only lifeline that I have in this world."

Ren's eyes softened as Ryuji took a sharp breath then continued with, "And when that fucking asshole talked bad about her, I snapped. I attacked him. In turn, I destroyed the Track Team. My mom was so hurt about it all; she blamed herself…"

"You can't blame yourself for that," Ren said.

"I know," Ryuji replied. "But I do. For many of us, myself included, the track team was our way to getting into a good college. I ruined that for them, and I take full responsibility for it."

"That's a pretty good reason for hating him," Morgana said, his tone sad. "He goaded you into attacking him…But why?"

"Looking back at it all, it's obvious that Kamoshida wanted the Volleyball team to be the top sports team in the school but to see him treat his team like this after sabotaging everyone else sickens me to my core," Ryuji said with a frown on his face.

"We'll have to prove he's doing this in the real world," Ren said as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "No one is going to believe we saw his abuse in his palace, and since my phone is not working in here, I'm going to assume yours won't either, which makes it that much harder to prove."

"I know. The odds are stacked against us, but no matter. I'll just have to remember the faces we see here and then talk to their real-life versions at school tomorrow," Ryuji said with a determined grin on his face.

Morgana observed the tortured students as he said, "Seeing this makes me realize something. If he treats the male students like this, I wonder how he treats the female students."

Ren's mind suddenly flashed to a smiling Shiho before he felt a sudden sickness in his stomach. "We need to get out of here fast," Ren said with urgency in his voice. Ryuji and Morgana nodded, but without warning, three knights spotted the trio down the hall.

"Intruders!" The first knight shouted as he pointed his blade at him.

"Damn it, time to jet!" Ren said as he started to run.

"Run, Jesus, Run!" Ryuji shouted as he perused Ren.

"Wait for me!" Morgana exclaimed as he followed the two.

The three managed to slip past the three knights and ran back towards the foyer, but once they entered the area, four knights fell from the sky and surrounded them.

**(Theme of Danger: Troubled from Persona 3)**

"Awww fuck man," Ryuji drawled out.

"It's you again," Kamoshida's voice rang out from the second floor of the castle, prompting the three to look at him. Beside him, on his left was the bikini-clad Ann with pink cat ears, and on his right was a bikini-clad Shiho with black cat ears.

"Ann!" Ryuji shouted in anger.

"Shiho…" Ren murmured, a burst of anger filling his veins at the sight of the two females beside Kamoshida.

"Remember, guys, they are just cognitions of them. Not the real thing…" Morgana whispered.

"I didn't realize you three would be so idiotic to come back after I let you leave," Kamoshida said with a cocky smirk. "It doesn't matter. Trespassing is already an executable offense, and I don't seldom give second chances to people like you."

"Get fucked, Kamoshida!" Ryuji shouted. "We got you figured out. Once we find proof of the shit you pulled, this castle is going to crumble all around you!"

Kamoshida laughed boisterously at Ryuji's words and said, "Do you truly think anyone will listen to the fallen Ace over me, The Olympic God of Shujin?! You have proven to be more of a moron than I originally thought."

Ryuji scowled.

"If anything, they will kick you out of the school the moment I whisper your name! A fitting end to the killer of the Track Team," Kamoshida said. "Do your friends even know what you did? Do they even know why your name is reviled in my kingdom?!"

"What does it matter?!" Ren shouted. "You sabotaged the track team to fall by provoking Ryuji just so the Volleyball team can take precedence!"

"Ah, so he did tell you," Kamoshida said with amusement. "They deserved to fall like all of the others. I did what I had to do to Shujin's sports team stars because only I get to hold the world's spotlight! People like you, Sakamoto, don't even deserve the scraps that I leave behind. "

Ryuji gritted his teeth and shouted, "God damn you, Kamoshida!"

"Look at him," Kamoshida said to both Ann and Shiho. "Getting all emotional. Just like old times." He then looked to Ann and caressed her face with the back of his hand. "The last time you did this, your leg became broken, and you lost your career on track."

"He broke your leg?" Ren asked in shock.

Ryuji hadn't mentioned that part at all.

"Oh-ho-ho, looks like you didn't mention all of it. That's right. The minute this little asswipe swung at me. I took him down and broke his leg. It's truly pathetic too. I would have only disbanded your precious track team without injury, but your loser of a track coach had to make a sound argument about keeping it around. He forced my hand, so I had to take drastic measures to get what I want. By breaking his star athlete's leg!" Kamoshida taunted, his eyes locked on Ryuji's stunned face.

Ryuji lowered his head, his hair hiding his eyes as Ren stammered out, "You p-planned it all…"

Kamoshida smirked. "Like I said, only I get to hold the spotlight…No one else."

"You truly are a despicable person," Morgana said, openly aghast. "You so need your ass kicked!"

Kamoshida laughed at this and gleefully replied, "Unfortunately for you, that day will never come because you all die here! My knights, kill them now!"

* * *

**[Scene Change – Unknown (?)  
Theme of Unknown: The Voice of Someone Calls from Persona 3] **

**"So, we finally meet, huh?"**

Ryuji's eyes snapped up.

Instead of being in the foyer of Kamoshida's castle, he found himself in a black void, but when he turned around, he found himself staring at himself, but his eyes were an eerie yellow color, and they were glowing.

The same as Kamoshida's.

"What the hell is this?" Ryuji asked.

**"This?"** His doppelgänger asked. **"This is your awakening. I've been waiting a long time for us to meet, and I have to say, you disappointed me up to this point."**

"Like I haven't heard that before from my teachers," Ryuji said as he looked away, but without warning, his doppelgänger grabbed his shirt and pulled him forward.

**"That's just like you, you coward. You knew what the volleyball team was going through from the start, but you didn't stop it, Did you?!"** the doppelgänger shouted out.

"Get off my back!" Ryuji shouted as he pushed the doppelgänger away. "I already let down my mother enough by striking that shit head and destroying not only my career in track but everyone else's. I couldn't get in trouble again. I couldn't let her down again…"

The doppelgänger smirked and said, **"This isn't just about your mother, and we both know that. This is about how he reminds you of your father."**

Ryuji paused. "W-What did you say?"

The clone smirked and said, **"You heard me. Kamoshida abused you, just like your father, and you let him. Not only because of the team, but because you feared him, and it was only when he brought up your mother that you grew a spine."**

 **"But even after that, you feared him because he broke your leg. You cursed his name to the heavens, but in the end, words are meaningless!"** With that shout, the clone's fist collided with Ryuji's face, sending the blond to the ground spiraling to the ground, where Ryuji landed on his stomach.

Ryuji groaned as he stared at the ground as the clone sneered down at him and growled out, **"You hid away behind your newly minted delinquent reputation, dyed your hair blond, and kept running away from the truth that you feared him like you feared your father. You let even more fall into his grasp! You could have stopped this if only you were brave enough to do it!"**

Ryuji sat there, absorbing the words the doppelgänger had said to him before he whispered, "You're right…"

The clone squinted his eyes.

"As much as I hate to admit it, while the Track Team was one of the reasons I refused to fight back against the abuse, the main thing was that I was afraid…Just like I was when I was younger…" Ryuji let out a bitter laugh as he turned his body to stare at his clone and murmured, "He reminded me so much of my father that I couldn't help but run…It's all I knew how to do. But no more."

Ryuji rose to his feet to face his doppelgänger head-on, a determined look in his eyes as he said, "No more will I run away from this. It's time a stand up to him and knock him on his ass with all I've got!"

The doppelgänger smirked and said, **"Good…Then I believe it's time to hoist the sails to your awakening!"**

* * *

**[Scene Change – Palace of Lust  
Theme of Awakening: Awakening from Persona 5]**

"Y-You…You truly are a lowly wretch," Ryuji whispered.

Kamoshida looked at Ryuji and said, "He finally speaks. I was afraid I wouldn't get to hear you beg and plead for the lives of your friends like you did for your track team."

"That all you got?" Ryuji asked. "If so, you're going to have to do a lot more to get under my skin…" Ryuji opened his eyes, and a flicker of lightning streaked across his irises, a deadly expression on his face.

"You feel that?" Morgana asked, who merely smirked in reply.

Kamoshida leaped down to the ground and motioned his knights to move aside grinned. "Well then, Sakamoto, let's repeat history. Come on," Kamoshida goaded as he smacked his right cheek. "This is the spot you hit me when I called your mother a gutter whore."

Ryuji's eyes widened another streak of lightning going across his eyes.

"Come on…Strike me again, and I promise you, I won't just stop at breaking your other leg!" Kamoshida said, his grin widening as Ryuji clenched his fist.

"From the moment I met you…You had that stupid grin on your face…" Ryuji said, a biting edge to his voice. "Even when I punched your lights out, you had it on…And now I know why…"

Ryuji's head snapped forward, revealing his now bright yellow irises.

Ryuji launched himself towards Kamoshida at a speed that surprised the man and with a shout of "Now I get to wipe that damn grin off your face for good!" and nailed Kamoshida in the face as hard as he could, streaks of lightning crossing his fist.

Kamoshida flew backward from the blow and rolled against the ground before he turned to face Ryuji, who now had a skull mask on the upper half of his face.

"I fucking hate you, Kamoshida…everything that's wrong is because of you!" Ryuji roared.

It was then a pulse of energy shot through his body.

 **"You made me wait quite a while. I was starting to get worried,"** a cocky voice said from within his mind. Almost instinctually, Ryuji reached up and grabbed the mask in alarm, scratching at it to remove it.

"What? Don't tell me he is one as well?!" Kamoshida shouted as Ryuji began to tug at the mask sharply.

 **"You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? The "other you" who exists within desires it thus..."** The voice said as Ryuji began to tug at the mask harder, feeling the mask pulling at his skin.

Ryuji could feel the mask ripping off his skin as the voice said, **"I am thou, thou art I...There is no turning back. The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"** Ryuji let out a scream as he removed the mask, causing a burst of energy to explode around his body, causing the entire area to shine.

When the light faded, Ryuji now wore a matching black leather jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, a pair of yellow gloves, and he wore a smirk on his face. "Whoa…"

Behind him was a ghostly figure of a skeleton wearing a blue shirt with black armor around his shoulders and neck, a red cape that was torn in two, a yellow glove on the left hand and a cannon as his right hand, black pants, and white shoes with a captain's head with the pirate emblem in the middle.

And the persona was standing on a pirate's ship that held a grinning spiky face with red and yellow eyes.

Ryuji punched his left palm with his right fist as he said, "Let's fuck them up, Captain Kidd!"

Kamoshida rose to his feet while he wiped the black blood that had dribbled from the corner of his mouth and sneered. "This won't change anything! Kill them all!" Kamoshida shouted at his knights.

The knights exploded into shadows before reforming. Three of the shades became a horse-like figure with two curving greenhorns, while the fourth shadow was a prominent figure with crimson armor and white fur around the shoulders and a yellow flowing cape with a lance in its left hand, sitting on top of a black horse with a white mane.

Ren and Morgana leaped beside Ryuji, who asked the pair, "You guys ready to rock?"

"Anytime, anywhere!" Morgana said with a grin.

"Let's get it done!" Ren exclaimed.

* * *

**(Theme of Battle: Last Surprise from Persona 5)**

"Arsène: Ravage them!" Ren shouted as Arsène appeared behind him and cleaved the War-hungry Horsemen in the back before he leaped up and slashed his dagger down the front of the knight's chest.

"Captain Kidd: Shock the World!" Ryuji shouted as Captain Kidd appeared behind him with its arm cannon raised in front of him before firing a bolt of lightning into one of the Dirty Two-Horned Beast, sending it falling to the ground, streaks of lightning crossing its body.

"Again! Shock his ass!" Ryuji shouted, making Captain Kidd shoot another bolt of lightning down on the second horned beast, sending it on its side beside its brethren.

"Ready, Morgana?!" Ryuji shouted towards the cat-like being, who smirked in reply before the two dashed towards the felled beasts, and with a swing of Morgana's cuirass and Ryuji's steel pipe, the two shadows exploded into nothingness.

Ryuji twirled his pipe and raised his hand towards the knight Ren was currently in a battle with and shouted, "Captain Kidd!"

Captain Kidd appeared and launched a bolt of lightning at the knight's chest, sending it toppling off its horse and onto its knees, steaks of lightning streaking up its body.

"It's down! Let's finish it!" Morgana shouted.

With a smirk on their faces, the three immediately dashed towards the fallen knight. With a flurry of strikes from Ryuji's pipe, Morgana cuirass, and Ren's knife, the creature let out a death scream before its body exploded into nothingness.

**[Theme of Victory:  
Victory from Persona 5]**

"Heh, how easy was that?! Freaking boring!" Ryuji exclaimed as he high-fived Ren.

"We were out of control!" Morgana exclaimed as he hopped around before he shared a high-five with Ryuji.

"Done and done," Ren calmly said as he adjusted his right glove.

* * *

**(Theme of Palace: Awakening from Persona 5)**

Ryuji turned around to Kamoshida and said, "Oh look, that goofy little grin is off your face."

Kamoshida sneered in response to the taunt. "Heh, you think that's all I've got?" Kamoshida said as several dozen knights began to trudge beside him.

Ann and Shiho then stood on each side of Kamoshida, both of them rubbing their bodies against his rob as he said, "As long as I rule this castle, I cannot be defeated."

"Alright then, we'll just have to defeat you then!" Ryuji said cockily, but Morgana shook his head.

"There's too many of them, Ryuji. We need to make a run for it," Morgana said.

Ren nodded in agreement and added, "As much as I want to take this guy down, we'll be killed if we fight this many all at once."

Ryuji frowned and said, "I don't think they'll let us escape so easily, though."

Morgana smirked and reached into his right belt pocket and pulled out a small orb, and said to Kamoshida, "We'll be back for you," before he tossed down a smoke bomb, causing a large plume of smoke to appear around them all.

"After them!" Kamoshida coughed out as the three thieves dashed out of the front door and shut it behind them.

Once the smoke cleared, only Kamoshida and the knights remained. "Heh, those cowardly thieves managed to escape my grasp again…No matter. They will be back, and I will take them out then."

"You can do it, Kamoshida-sama," Ann cooed.

"We will be here to help you do so as well," Shiho moaned out.

Kamoshida smirked and said, "Now come, let's go have some fun."

* * *

**(Theme of After the Battle: The Power of the Heart from Persona 3)**

"Man, it sucks that we couldn't battle that dick," Ryuji said as he placed his hands on his knees, panting heavily. "Boy, am I out of shape," Ryuji joked as he leaned up and said, "But holy shit. I can't believe I have a persona like you two! It's totally awesome!"

"Congrats," Ren said with a grin. "Glad to have you on our team."

"We're a team?" Morgana asked, surprised.

"Of course. All of us have personas, and we worked well back in the palace. Why wouldn't we be a team?" Ren questioned.

"Yeah…So since we're teammates and all…then I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask…Well, long story short, I think there is something in this palace that clue me in on getting my human body back," Morgana explained. "It's why I've been investigating the place, but I'm only one person, and I'm a little nervous in going at this alone, so…"

"So you want our help in getting your human body then? Sure," Ren replied immediately, much to Morgana's surprise. "We are teammates, after all. What about you, Ryuji? You in this as well?"

"I'll swing with this. I mean shit, you talk, you know how to fight, and you're pretty smart as well. I'm curious to see if you are human, a cat, or whatever the fuck. So, I'll help as well," Ryuji said.

"Wow…Thanks, guys…" Morgana said, his voice choked up with emotions. "Ahem, well, what do we do now?"

"We're going to head back to our world now. Are you able to come with us?" Ren asked.

"I think so…" Morgana said with an unsure tone.

"Good, let's go," Ren said before the three began to walk away from the castle and towards the alleyway across the castle where the exit to the real world would be.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shibuya (Afternoon)  
Theme of Meeting: My Homie from Persona 5]**

The minute they appeared in the real world, the two found themselves in their regular clothes, and beside them was a black cat with blue eyes and a white muzzle, paws, and tail tip who wears a yellow collar.

"Wow, I didn't know the sky was so blue," Morgana said, which prompted Ryuji and Ren to look down at the cat between them.

 _'He is truly adorable,'_ Ren thought as he knelt to Morgana and said, "Welcome to the real world, Morgana."

"Dude, you have a little yellow scarf around your neck," Ryuji said. He knelt and smiled at Morgana. "That's hella adorable," Ryuji commented.

"It's not adorable!" Morgana exclaimed with a pouty tone, but Ryuji grinned.

"It so is," Ryuji replied before he stood back up and said, "Come on, after all that, I'm starving. You guys want to eat?"

"Yeah. I'm starving as well. What about you, Morgana?" Ren asked.

"I am pretty hungry. I haven't eaten in days," Morgana replied.

"Then it's settled. Let's go eat," Ryuji said with a smile.

Ren held out his book bag and said to Morgana, "Hop in." Morgana nodded and got into the book bag, where Ren then lifted and asked, "So where should we eat out?"

"Someplace with a lot of fish," Morgana said as he poked his head up from Ren's book bag.

"I know a pretty awesome ramen place nearby. Can you handle Ramen, ok, Morgana?" Ryuji asked Morgana.

"I sure can!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Then Ramen it is! Ryuji exclaimed.

 _'It's weird…They seem to be getting along. For some reason, I thought they would be more antagonistic towards one another,'_ Ren thought to himself, but then he shut his eyes and smiled. _' But…I think I prefer this instead. It'll make this teamwork thing go smoother…'_

But what the group of three didn't know was that a certain blonde-haired girl was watching them from a distance.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Café LeBlanc (Afternoon)  
Theme of Café LeBlanc: Beneath the Mask From Persona 5]**

"Wow, you live here?" Morgana asked as Ren walked into LeBlanc's coffee shop. The lunch thing with Ryuji and Morgana went well.

Things had gotten serious when Ren revealed his past.

Ryuji was less than pleased about what Ren had gone through, but it seemed to make their bond more profound than just the two of them being troublemakers, but there was something Ryuji said that made him wonder.

_"There's no reason to keep quiet because you have a record. Everyone knows about it. There's been stuff put up about it and everything. I'm pretty damn sure Kamoshida's ass leaked your file. There's no way everyone would find out unless a teacher said it."_

It would make sense.

Kamoshida didn't like him from the start and tried to force Ann not to associate with him at all. Not to mention the dangerous air around him when Kamoshida extended the invitation to join the Volleyball team.

 _'Holy shit! I forgot about that!'_ Ren exclaimed within his head. _'He did say that there was a meet tomorrow, so it may get me a jump on investigating the faces we saw in his palace today.'_

"Hey kid," Sojiro's voice said, snapping Ren from his thoughts. "You going to stand in the doorway all day?"

"Oh, sorry, Sojiro-san," Ren said as he moved out of the doorway and began to walk to the stairs, but just as he made it, the door opened, and a familiar voice called out to him.

"Ren!" Ann exclaimed.

Ren turned around to see Ann standing in the doorway. "Ann? What are you doing here?" Ren asked, surprised to see her at LeBlanc's.

"Lady Ann is here?!" Morgana exclaimed, which caused Sojiro's ears to perk up.

"Was that a meow?" Sojiro questioned.

"I didn't hear anything," Ren said to Sojiro before he looked to Ann and asked, "So again, what's going on? Why did you come here?"

"I followed you here because I need to talk to you. It's super important," Ann said.

"Is she a friend of yours, kid?" Sojiro questioned.

"Yeah. One of my first," Ren said. "Do you mind if I take her to my room upstairs?"

Sojiro let a slight grin appear on his face and said, "Sure. But remember, we are in a public setting. I don't want to hear anything inappropriate."

Both Ann and Ren blushed at the words, but Ren waved it off and said, "No worries."

He then turned to Ann and said, "Come on, follow me up."

Ann nodded, and soon, the two were upstairs. Ren sat his bag down, and Morgana popped out of the bag and sighed out, "Man, feels good to be free," before he looked to Ann and said, "It's nice to see you again, Lady Ann."

Ann looked at the cat with alarm before Ren said, "It's Morgana. You know. The super cute cat-like figure we saved from Kamoshida's clutches yesterday."

"I know. I recognized his voice but Morgana, why do you look like a regular cat now? And how did you get here?" Ann asked.

"Well…We found out a few more unsavory things about Kamoshida," Ren said.

"Yeah. How like he intentionally broke Ryuji's leg so he could ruin his career and destroy the track team," Morgana said, which made Ann gasp in horror.

"Oh my god, he intentionally hurt him?" Ann asked, horrified.

"Yeah," Ren said with a sigh. "It's dreadful, but I don't think that's going to be the worst we hear, I'm afraid…"

"Well…You'd be right about that…" Ann softly said before she sat beside him on the bed. She reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out a note, but before she did anything, she turned to Morgana and asked, "Hey Morgana. I wish to speak to Ren about this alone. Do you mind leaving for a little bit?"

"Sure, Lady Ann. Anything for you," Morgana said before he walked down the stairs, leaving the two alone.

**(Theme of Heart-to-Heart: Confession, Secret from Persona 5)**

After a few moments of silence, Ann handed Ren the note as she said, "Kamoshida talked to me today. He wanted me to stay away from you and Ryuji. I told him, you guys saved my life. It was then he gave me this note…"

Ren flipped open the note and began to read it.

_"Shiho isn't doing so well on the team. I'm thinking of axing her from it. However, we both know how to avoid your friend losing the only hope she's got for getting into a good university. You have until 04/13 to come to me or else. She'll have to pay the price…"_

It was then he heard sniffling coming from beside him, and when he turned his head, he saw tears falling from Ann's eyes. "I'm sure you heard the rumors. About me being Kamoshida's _woman_ ," Ann said with a scowl.

"I wouldn't do anything like that with him. He's a disgusting, arrogant pig that I wish would just leave me alone! But then Shiho joined the team. He knows Shiho is my best friend and that I would do anything for her. He then called me into his office and threatened her spot and her safety if I didn't become his girlfriend…"

Ren's eyes narrowed in anger. "So that's how he got to you. He found out you two were friends and then began to lord her spot on the team over your head to get you to do what he wanted," Ren summarized.

"Yeah," Ann sighed out. "At first, it began with kisses here and there. But it never went past that until recently."

"How bad has it gotten now?" Ren asked.

"A few days before you showed up, he would start hinting that he wanted me to do some sexual act to him, but I would always find a way to weasel out of it," Ann whispered, her face heating up in shame.

"Lately, I started to notice that each time I refused him, Shiho would wind up getting injured somehow, and I know It's more than a coincidence…Then today, he passed this onto me, and I-I j-just don't know what t-to do," Ann stammered before she began to sob.

Ren felt his heart twist in a knot as he wordlessly pulled her close into his embrace, which she didn't fight. He then felt her arms wrap around his body as her body shook with each sob she gave.

Ren felt strange seeing Ann cry like this.

He didn't know why but Ren equated Ann crying to seeing one of his siblings cry, and it only made him upset as well.

"I have until tomorrow Ren," Ann cried against his chest. "I don't want Shiho to lose it all, but I don't want to give my body to him for her to keep it...God, I'm so selfish!"

"No, you're not," Ren said as he pushed her away from him so he could look at her in the eyes. "You are far from selfish, you idiot. You dealt with this sick pervert all alone to protect your friend and to keep her happy. If that's selfish, I hate to see what you do when you're selfless."

Ren wiped the tears from her eyes, his own eyes becoming watery as more tears began to fall down Ann's face. "We'll figure out something. I promise we will. Just have faith in us," Ren whispered, his voice hitching slightly.

"Ren…" Ann whispered, her watery eyes gazing up into his eyes before she fell back into his chest and hugged him tightly, which Ren returned.

* * *

**[Time change - Shibuya (Nighttime)]**

It was an hour and a half later when Ann finally left, and Ren was deep in thought about his current situation.

Kamoshida was pressuring Ann for sex, and when she refused, Shiho would wind up hurt. It was only a matter of time before Kamoshida would force Shiho into having sex with him or even raping her.

Ren hated to think that, but it was the only natural progression he could see.

"What's on your mind?" Morgana asked as he hopped up on the bed and sat beside Ren.

Ren looked to Morgana and asked, "How are you on reconnaissance?"

"I'm pretty good at it. Why?" Morgana asked.

"Tomorrow, I want you to shadow Suzui Shiho. She's Ann's best friend. I want you to watch over here just in case Kamoshida pulls some shit, alright?" Ren asked.

Morgana nodded and said, "So shadow Lady Ann's friend. Gotcha."

"Thanks, Morgana," Ren said with a smile on his face before he let out a yawn.

"Don't yawn," Morgana said before yawning as well.

"Sorry, I'm super beat from today," Ren said. "Let's turn in early."

* * *

**[Scene Change – Unknown  
Theme of Unknown– Reminiscence from Persona 5]**

Ren's eyes snapped awake, and he found himself in a steel gray colored room with a single table in the middle and two chairs, he was sitting in one of them, and a figure was sitting in the second one across from him.

He was wearing his school uniform, which was torn in several places. His face felt extraordinarily sore, and his glasses were missing.

Sitting across from him was a clone of him.

This clone wore Ren's attire from the other world, but there was a difference. While the bulk of the clothing was the same, the long tailcoat was a bright red, and his domino mask was black, with red swirling within the mask.

"Where am I?" Ren asked his doppelgänger.

 **"We are in a cell,"** his doppelgänger responded. **"This was the last place we were in before a bullet pierced our minds."**

"A bullet?" Ren asked, a confused tone in his voice.

His doppelgänger's glowing gold eyes closed as he nodded. **"Yeah, we die here in this cell by a traitor. But you don't remember any of this, do you?"** The doppelgänger asked.

"Not at all…" Ren replied.

 **"That's what I figured,"** the doppelgänger sighed out.

"Who are you? Why do you look like me?" Ren asked.

 **"Who am I? Well, I'm your other half of course. Your rebel soul,"** His doppelgänger replied. **"You remember that part, don't you?"**

"Arsène…" Ren said with realization.

 **"Got it in one,"** His doppelgänger, now known as Arsène, replied with a grin on his face. **"I didn't think my true form was needed for this, so I went back to an old friend."**

"Why am I here?" Ren asked.

 **"You're here for one reason…You need to remember what you have forgotten,"** Arsène said. **"And you have to do it soon, for something powerful lurks in this world."**

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

 **"There is an evil presence that is beneath us. And it is powerful, and with each day that passes, it grows more powerful to the point I don't think you or the other Phantom Thieves will be able to defeat it,"** Arsène explained.

"This threat is that powerful?" Ren asked.

 **"Yes,"** Arsène replied.

"So what should I do then? Get more teammates?" Ren asked.

 **"Yes…That is exactly what needs to be done. Get stronger Personas. Anything but do it quickly, or else things will turn out poorly once again. Question everything and everyone and listen to your gut. It will never steer you wrong,"** Arsène finished as he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers before the area flashed away.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Suzui Residence (Nighttime)  
Theme of Suzui Residence– The Voice Someone Calls from Persona 3]**

With water from the shower pouring down her bruised and naked body, Suzui Shiho sat in her tub with a small knife in her hands, her forearms dripping with blood and tears flowing from her eyes.

Why?

Why did he keep doing this to her?

She never asked for this.

She never wanted any of this…

When she first heard that the Olympic gold medalist Suguru Kamoshida, a man she had rooted for back when he was in the Olympics, was coming to her school to teach, she was elated.

She had looked up to him for bringing the gold home to Japan, and for a while, he was an excellent teacher. But then, Kamoshida began to change. He began to hurt her friends on the Volleyball team and soon began to abuse the girls.

She received it the worse.

He would often leer at her and make suggestive remarks, and when she refused, he then began to hold her position on the Volleyball team and ruining her future over her head. And when that didn't work, Kamoshida used her friendship with Ann to finally get her under his thumb.

All she wanted was to play Volleyball, get into a good university and be with her best friend, but instead, her body was being used and abused by this awful man.

She just couldn't take it.

Her parents knew about the abuse she was going through, and yet they were so bound and determined to get her to a good university that they turned a blind eye to it all.

The only one she could turn to was Ann, but Shiho couldn't tell Ann anything about this. She had to protect her from him.

She knew that Kamoshida fancied Ann.

He often mentioned her whenever he touched her body. He lusted after her best friend to the point that he would often have Shiho wear a blond wig and pretend to be her as his hands roamed her body.

Shiho couldn't let Kamoshida defile her best friend's body, even if he was soiling hers. But despite her intentions, she was in pain from being used like this.

At first, cutting was easing the pain, but it was becoming worse…

She just wanted it to stop!

 ** _"You can stop it…"_** a dark voice whispered in her mind. **_"All you have to do is turn that knife to your chest and plunge it in…"_**

Shiho froze.

She had been hearing this voice for a long time. This dark, twisted voice mimicked her own.

This voice had been urging her to end her own life. Each time, she managed to battle it back, but her fighting spirit was dying, and this thing was growing stronger.

 ** _"Do it…The pain…The suffering…The betrayal…It can all go away with one swift thrust,"_** the voice whispered seductively.

The bathroom began to ebb away into the darkness, with the noise of the shower fading into the background.

Soon, Shiho found herself alone in a dark void.

She could feel a cold, wet hand slide down her arms and naked breasts pressed against her back as a soothing voice said into her ear, **_"Just let go…We can be free from this…"_**

Shiho turned her head to see herself, with glowing yellow eyes, welcoming smile on her face. **_"I know it hurts, but we can be free. Just let go of your worries and fears, and together, we can enter eternity. Unsullied by his touch. By his gaze."_**

Shiho’s back pressed against her naked Doppelgänger, and for a moment, Shiho wanted to do as this dark reflection said, and yet, she couldn't.

Ann.

Ann still needed her. If she died here, Ann would be at his mercy.

"I can't…" She whispered regretfully. "She needs me…"

Her Doppelgänger nodded at this, her smile never leaving her face as she replied, **_"I know…You love Ann dearly. You may not be lovers, but she is your soulmate. She is the one that completes you. It is truly admirable that you don't want to let her down…"_**

"I…" Shiho began, but her Doppelgänger silenced her small chuckle.

 ** _"But how long do you think your mental and physical wellbeing can take before you break down Shiho? How long can you stand being a replacement for your dear Takamaki Ann?"_** the Doppelgänger asked her.

 ** _"How long can you handle his sickening desires of her on your body? Something has got to give Shiho. It's only a matter of time before he takes more of you and destroys you from within. Are you powerful enough to withstand that, all for her?"_** The clone questioned.

"I-I…Shiho stammered weakly.

But then, her mind found itself focusing on the smiling face of her best friend Ann and the new student, Amamiya Ren.

Shiho didn't know why but imaging his smiling face along with Ann's gave her the strength to tell the doppelgänger "I don't know if I'll be strong enough to endure it much longer, but until it that strength runs out, I must protect Ann."

The doppelgänger chuckled softly.

**_"How noble of you. And all it took was a new handsome face to enter the fray for you to find that new strength. I am proud that you are willing to let someone else entered your sad, broken heart."_ **

The Doppelgänger then pressed a gentle kiss on Shiho's shoulder and whispered, **_"But even that won't stop the longing of dying that you have inside you..."_**

And with those words, Shiho found herself back in her bathroom, warm water falling down her body, but it was then she noticed that the knife that she had used to cut her forearms was pointed at her chest, and her arms were held forward.

Was she going to stab herself?

Shiho tossed the knife to the other side of the tube and took deep, labored breaths.

She had to stay strong. As welcoming as that Doppelgänger was, she could not allow herself to do it.

For Ann and even Ren, she had to withstand it all.

But in the deepest part of her mind, she heard the voice in her head say, **_"When you are ready to seek the peace that only death can bring you, I will welcome you into my warm embrace, Suzui Shiho, for we are one in the same…"_**


	6. From Bonding to Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ren Amamiya: This chapter will have attempted murder in it. Reader Discretion is advised.

**[Opening Scene – Shujin Academy (Daytime)  
Theme of Shujin Academy: Want to be Close from Persona 3]**

"Put this on," Kamoshida commanded as he tossed Ren a white t-shirt along with a red jacket and pants with white squares on the sleeves/pants leg. "Your gym clothes," Kamoshida grinned.

As soon as he entered Shujin, Kamoshida had bum-rushed him to get him along in his office.

He knew Ryuji would burst and attack the teacher at the mere sight of him, but Ren managed to ease his anger and worry and willingly followed the oaf of a teacher.

Once alone, Kamoshida had tossed him that bag for his gym clothes while also explaining what was going on with the meet today.

It was teachers going against the male volleyball team. He didn't know any of his teammate's names that Kamoshida had told him,, but there was one that he did recognize.

Yuuki Mishima.

That name he did know.

How he wasn't sure, but there was a feeling in his heart that this person would be a massive help to him somehow.

"I'll be sure to be at the gym by ten this morning for the meet. Thank you," Ren dryly replied as he looked at the gym clothes.

"Anything for the former Volleyball Captain," Kamoshida's slimy voice replied.

Without giving a response, Ren turned around and began to walk towards the door when Kamoshida said, "Wait right there, Kemosabe, there was one more thing I needed to say."

"Oh?" Ren asked, feigning curiosity. "And whatever could that be?"

Kamoshida smirked and said, "I just wanted to say good luck today. I hope everything comes up gold for you."

"Why thank you for the encouragement but trust me, I don't need it," Ren said with a fake grin to the older man before he opened the door and walked out of the room, and shut the door behind him.

"God, that guy is a dick," Ren muttered to himself, his grin immediately dropping as he held the gym uniform in his arms.

"Ah! I found you!" Kawakami's voice rang out from behind him.

Ren turned around and saw Kawakami walking towards him with a concerned frown on her face.

Why was she concerned?

"Oh hey Kawakami-sensei," Ren said with a slight wave. "Wishing me luck before the meet?"

"Something like that," Kawakami wryly replied. "Follow me."

Ren blinked in confusion but shrugged and followed Kawakami, who led him to her empty classroom. She held the door open as Ren walked inside, and the moment he did, he heard Kawakami locked the door behind her once she closed it.

"So what's going on, Kawakami-sensei?" Ren asked her.

"Let's cut the bullshit," Kawakami began. "We both know you know about my other job."

Ren blinked. "I'm sorry, what?" Ren asked.

"Don't play with me, Amamiya-san," Kawakami said. "We both know about my other j-job…"

Ren looked around in confusion. "Look…If this is about that maid comment I made, I made that in jest."

"Bullshit," Kawakami replied. "The first day we met, you said you saw me before but gave some lame excuse at where you saw me, and then last time we saw each other, you mentioned me in my maid outfit. You're taunting me about my other job."

"Look, I'm not taunting you about anything," Ren truthfully told her. "But I don't see what's so bad about working as a maid. People have second jobs all the time, you know?"

"Y-You think I work only as a maid?" Kawakami asked with a stammer.

It was then his mind played an image of Kawakami in her rather skimpy French maid outfit with a broad, innocent smile on her face as she said, _"Welcome home, Master. I'm going to fill your tired heart full of precious energy. Meow! I'm Becky, and I have the pleasure of serving you today. We're going to get along so well! Meeeooowww!"_

He could then see an image of that sullen boy and Ryuji climbing off the balcony. He, on the other hand, was in the same room with Kawakami.

"Amamiya-san!" Kawakami's voice exclaimed, snapping him out of the vision to look at her. Ren then let a deep blush form on his face as he said, "I-I think I get it now…You're Becky."

"That confirms that then," Kawakami said with a blank stare. "How'd you find out?"

 _'Think of something, think of something, think of something...'_ Ren thought repeatedly.

"My dad!" Ren exclaimed. "He kept a hidden video of you when he used your services when he came here last month for business. It wasn't anything bad. It was you doing domestic work around the hotel room he was staying in when he was here. I stumbled upon it one day, and the rest is history."

"I see…But that's all you saw?" Kawakami asked.

"That's all I saw…Just one question though…are you one of those maids?" Ren asked.

"Oh god no," Kawakami replied with a sigh. "And I hope never to be."

"Well, regardless, I didn't tell anyone, and I will continue not to. What you do outside of here is your business. Not mine," Ren said with a welcoming smile on his face.

Kawakami looked at him long and hard before she let out a relieved sigh and said, "I'll hold you to that…Thanks…"

"No problem. Your secret is safe with me," Ren said with a smile. "Now I have to get to his meet; we'll talk later about this. If you want?"

Kawakami snorted and said, "Y'know what? Sure now get going."

Ren nodded and walked past Kawakami and opened the door before shutting it behind him and letting out a long sigh of relief.

 _'Boy…That was…something…'_ Ren thought to himself before he noticed a sullen-looking boy heading towards him.

"Amamiya Ren?" The boy asked with a defeated tone.

"That's me," Ren confirmed. "You must be Yuuki Mishima?"

"That's me…" Mishima replied softly. "The meet is starting soon. We must go…"

"Lead the way then," Ren said.

* * *

"Where is she?" Ryuji heard Ann ask in concern as the two sat in the bleachers on the highest row alone, waiting for the meet to begin.

Ryuji knew she was speaking about Shiho, and admittedly, he had been getting concerned as well about her. Ever since he saw her and Ann in Kamoshida's palace, something has been eating away at him about how Kamoshida had portrayed them.

He knew Ann somewhat well enough to know she wouldn't act like that, and while he didn't know Shiho at all, he had a good idea that Shiho was portrayed right either.

But that got him thinking.

He knew that Kamoshida abused the male students but didn't see any female students being tortured.

What if there was something more to the way Kamoshida treated the females in his class?

He wanted to speak to Ren about it, but he was so drained last night, he dropped the second he saw his bed, and this morning, Kamoshida's ugly mug requesting Ren to meet him in his office.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon," Ryuji told Ann.

"I hope so…I've been worried about her," Ann said. "She didn't call me last night after volleyball practice, and she didn't respond to my text this morning…" Ann sat down beside Ryuji and said, "I hope she's alright…"

"I think she will be ok," Ryuji said. "But I am also worried about her and you as well."

"Me?" Ann asked. "Why do you need to worry about me?"

"Ren and I saw something yesterday at the place. Both of you were there, dressed in cat ears and a bikini. He portrayed you both like some…"

"Whores?" Ann whispered.

"I wasn't trying to use that word, but yeah," Ryuji said with a frown. "It seems he's very possessive about the both of you, and it got me thinking…If he treats the male volleyball team like shit, then how does he treat the female volleyball team?"

"What are you trying to say?" Ann asked. "That he is doing something to them? To Shiho?"

"I have a feeling he's doing something. What it is, I don't know, but something about how he treated you two in there has been fucking with me," Ryuji responded. "I can understand if he saw you like that since he's a creep to you but Shiho? There's something there that we are missing."

Ann grew silent, her body trembling, and for a moment, Ryuji regretted bringing this up to Ann. He didn't mean to upset her, but he noticed it when he reached out to touch her shoulder.

There was blood dribbling from her clenched fist.

"Ann…?" Ryuji murmured hesitantly.

"I became his girlfriend to keep her safe…" Ann began, her voice eerily calm. "I have dealt with his leering eyes, his disgusting lips, and hideous personality to keep Shiho safe and sound from his advances so I can understand that he would think of possessing me in that world…"

Ann then looked to Ryuji and what he saw took him aback. There was so much fury within Ann's eyes after he finished talking that it honestly scared Ryuji. He had seen her mad before, but this was something else.

There wasn't just fire in her eyes.

There was an inferno.

"But if he has done the same to her…If he has truly laid his hands on her or done worse, I'll kill him," Ann whispered menacingly.

 _'H-Holy shit…She's hot when she's pissed…'_ Ryuji thought before he blinked.

Where did that come from?

He heard the crowd cheer, which prompted Ryuji and Ann to look towards the middle of the gym where Kamoshida and the other male adults stood across the net from the male volleyball team.

"There they are," Ryuji muttered when he spotted Ren. "I hope Kamoshida doesn't pull anything on Ren…"

"You think he will?" Ann asked.

"Of course. Kamoshida has been after Ren from the jump. He was the one who leaked Ren's record. I do not doubt he'll pull some shit," Ryuji said.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy Gym (Daytime)  
Theme of Tense Encounter: Kichijoji 199X from Persona 5: The Royal]**

Ren heavily panted as he shook his arms, easing the soreness in them before he hunched forward and popped the ball in the air to return it to Kamoshida, barely missing the man's head as it sailed past him and hit the square, causing his team to score a point.

It had been thirty minutes since the game began, and Kamoshida was pulling no punches in this game.

Kamoshida seemed to make it his life's mission to try to nail him with the volleyball. Still, thanks to the combination of being in shape and being a former Volleyball team captain, Ren was able to return each strike with every ounce of vile and venom that he held in his veins.

Ren could see the frustrated expression on Kamoshida's face on the other side of the net, and it made Ren smirk. His ego must be taking a blow due to a mere high school keeping on par with a former gold medalist.

And judging by the stunned silence, everyone was in shock that Ren was matching Kamoshida blow for blow.

"Go Ren!" he heard Ryuji's voice shout. "You can do it, man!"

"Take him out, Ren!" Ann's voice also shouted.

Ren looked to see Ryuji and Ann on their feet and let a smile appear on his face. At least someone was rooting for him.

But he didn't miss the angry expression on Kamoshida's face.

"W-Wow, you're doing great. You a-actually scored against K-Kamoshida-sensei…" Ren heard Mishima say from beside him, a tone of awe in his voice.

"Thanks…" Ren replied to his classmate, but he kept his eyes on Kamoshida.

The older man seemingly heard what Mishima said because Kamoshida then scowled while looking in Mishima's direction before a cruel smirk appeared on his face.

The male teacher behind Kamoshida served the ball, sending it over the net.

Ren bounced it back over the net and, to his annoyance, sending it over the net towards one of the male teachers.

The male teacher passed it to Kamoshida, who leaped into the air and spiked it down towards Mishima, who gave a brief whimper as it shot towards him.

Ren dashed to the left without thinking and pushed Mishima away, only for him to brace himself as the ball slammed into his face, causing his glass to crack and break.

Blood immediately fell from the cuts the glass caused around his eyes as he fell to the ground in pain while Mishima stumbled backward in shock.

The whispers of "Oh my god," and "Is he okay?" filled the court as Ren held his face but suddenly, Ren leaned up and blinked before he grinned, despite the blood falling from his face and stood up on his two feet, albeit a little shakily.

Ren walked towards Mishima and held out his hand, and asked, "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine…" Mishima stammered out as he took Ren's hand, which allowed Ren to hoist the smaller boy onto his feet.

"Good! Now let's keep going!" Ren said with a thumbs up and a grin, despite the blood on his face. He could see the hidden smug grin of Kamoshida's melt into a look of surprise and then anger as the crowd clapped at Ren, which made the bleeding boy's grin grow.

"I think we should call it," Kamoshida suddenly said. "You need to get check out, Amamiya-san."

Ren could hear the amusement in Kamoshida's voice and let a grin appear on his face. "I've taken worse than this back at my old school. I can handle it," Ren replied, looking directly at Kamoshida.

"If you are sure…" Kamoshida said with a scowl before turning to Mishima and ordered, "Then serve the ball Yuuki-san!" with venom in his voice.

Mishima nodded and ran off to grab the ball while Ren ran to his bag, pulled off the towel, and wiped the blood off his face before running back to the court. Mishima popped the ball into the air and hit it across the net, where a male teacher bopped it towards Ren.

Ren leaped into the air and spiked it hard towards Kamoshida, which caused the ball to slam into Kamoshida's face, sending him down to the ground hard.

"Oh my god!" the teachers shouted in shock as they crowded around the man.

"Ah shit, sorry about that!" Ren said, feigning apologetic but inwardly, he smirked. "Is Kamoshida-sensei okay?"

"His nose could be broken," A teacher said.

"We need to get him out of here!" another teacher said.

"The meet is over. Call it off!" Kamoshida said with a groan as he waved his hand.

Ren frowned and said, "He can't even take a ball to the face."

"Y-You did t-that on purpose?" Mishima stammered behind him, which caused Ren to turn around to face him.

"Considering he was going to hit you had I not stepped in, I did," Ren whispered.

"B-But why?" Mishima asked.

"Blame the hero complex in me," Ren joked before he placed a hand on Mishima's shoulder lightly and said, "Now come on, we need to talk."

"Talk? A-About what?" Mishima asked.

"About why Kamoshida is abusing his students," Ren replied as he led Mishima away from the gym room.

"But your bleeding," Mishima said.

"Nothing but a stop to the nurse won't fix," Ren said with a grin.

* * *

Shiho walked into the school with a sullen look on her face, ignoring the drones' mindless chatter around her. She walked to her locker and opened it up, and placed her stuff into it when she heard a girl say behind her, "I can't believe that Ren kid did that."

 _'Amamiya-san?'_ Shiho asked herself as she tuned in.

"Yeah, he purposely hit that volleyball and nailed Kamoshida-sensei in the face. Do you think he did it because he found out about Ann and Kamoshida-sensei being together?" The girl continued.

 _'He hit Kamoshida?'_ Shiho thought.

"Yeah, but he's such a glory hog that he kept targeting Kamoshida. Poor Yuuki-san had to deal with him hogging the ball. I was so glad that the criminal got hit with the ball when he pushed Yuuki-san out of the way," the second girl said with a laugh.

 _'That…Doesn't sound like Amamiya-san...'_ Shiho thought.

"Yeah. Poor Kamoshida-sensei. He had to leave for the day because of his broken nose. I hope he's ok…" the first girl said.

Shiho felt satisfaction at her words.

 _'So Kamoshida is gone for the day…I **must** make it up to Ren-kun now…I-I mean Amamiya-san!"_ Shiho thought to herself. Just as she turned around, she saw Ren, Ann, and Ryuji leading a scared Mishima up the stairs.

Shiho narrowed her eyes and began to follow them as discreetly as possible until she found herself at the stairwell of the roof. She cracked the door slightly and began to listen.

"Sorry for the smoke and mirrors about this Mishima-san," Ren began. "But we've been investigating Kamoshida and the rumors of him abusing the volleyball team."

"W-What are you talking about? Kamoshida-sensei isn't abusing us," Mishima's scared voice replied.

"Bullshit!" Ryuji's voice replied. "We're not stupid, Mishima. We've all noticed how everyone in his team has been hurt. Look at yourself, man. You look fucked up."

"Not to mention Shiho…She's been getting injured as well," Ann said, her voice cracking slightly. "I need to know if Kamoshida is hurting her like he is hurting you and all the other students!"

"He's…" Mishima started, but then he stopped.

She peeked through the door to see that Ren placed his hand on top of Mishima's head, with the shorter male looking at him with surprise.

"I know you're nervous," Ren told him. "This has been going on a long time, him abusing everyone. We both know that he was looking to cave your head in today. We won't tell anyone if he is abusing you. We're here to help not only you but anyone that he has hurt. Don't make it harder for us to stop him…"

Mishima looked down and muttered, "I-I can't…He's the worst…He'll find out that I spoke and w-will hurt me more…"

"Not if we stop him," Ryuji said.

"I-I can't…I can't do it!" Mishima exclaimed, tears falling down his face.

Ren knelt slightly and wiped the teen's tears, and gave a sad smile. "Don't sweat it…We'll find out some other way."

"I-I'm sorry," Mishima replied.

"It's ok...Just hang tight. We'll stop him somehow, okay?" Ren told him with a comforting tone.

Shiho felt her heart skip a beat.

Ren's smile was filled with so much warmth; it added to how handsome she found him, even with the various band-aids on his face.

"O-Oh…" Mishima murmured.

Shiho could see his cheeks reddening ever so slightly.

She knew he wasn't the most popular guy before Kamoshida, and now after Kamoshida, he was damn near crippled social, so having someone like Ren be so kind and gentle, she could understand why he seemed so surprised.

But looking at the scene, it was charming.

But she couldn't help but wonder, why was he doing this?

He was a brand new student, and yet he was trying to unravel what Kamoshida was doing to them. Did he have some sort of hero complex or something? Was this a challenge for him? Why was he sticking his neck out for them?

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shibuya (Daytime)  
Theme of Danger: Troubled from Persona 3]**

Kamoshida sat in his car, driving towards the nearest doctor's office fuming.

That damned transfer student was beginning to piss him off.

Did he not understand who the hell he was dealing with? He was an Olympic gold medalist, for fucks sake. This kid was a damn criminal that should be kissing the ground that he, a man far above his station, walked on.

Not to mention Ann…His woman was cheering that street rat on. Her and that pathetic Sakamoto.

Kamoshida smirked.

It didn't matter because he had a plan.

Kamoshida pulled out his cellphone and called a number. After the first ring, he said, "Ah, hello Makigami-san. I have a favor to ask you. You know that transfer student that just came to Shujin?"

* * *

**[Scene Change –Shujin Academy (Daytime)  
Theme of Shujin Academy: Want to be Close from Persona 3]**

Shiho could hear the conversation/interrogation wrapping up and quickly made her way back downstairs to avoid getting caught eavesdropping, only to bump into the Student Class President, Niijima Makoto.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Niijima-sempai," Shiho said with a bow while Makoto fixed her clothing.

Makoto waved her off with, "Don't worry about it, but what were you doing coming from the roof? You know that area is off-limits."

"I-I just needed some air, that's all…" Shiho replied.

Makoto nodded and said with a polite smile, "Very well…You have a wonderful day, and stay away from the roof. I do not wish for you to get hurt." Makoto then walked off, leaving Shiho to watch her go, her smile changing into a frown.

Who did she think she was? Shiho could not stand Niijima Makoto and how she acted all high and mighty while turning a blind eye to Kamoshida's ways.

"Yo, Suzui!" A voice shouted out from behind her.

Shiho turned around to see Ryuji and Mishima walking down the steps. "Where you been, girl? Ann's been worried sick," Ryuji said with a friendly grin while Mishima immediately ran off down the hall.

"S-Sorry. I woke up late," Shiho murmured. "Where is Ann anyways?"

"She's up on the roof talking to Ren about something. Figured we'd leave them to it," Ryuji replied.

"W-Why would they be talking alone?" Shiho asked nervously.

"I don't know. Honestly, I think they are talking about you," Ryuji said.

Shiho blinked then asked, "Me? W-Why me?"

"No idea. I heard your name while I was leaving," Ryuji said. A few seconds later, Ren and Ann came walking downstairs, only for Ann to break out into a large smile at the sight of Shiho.

"Oh my god, you're okay!" Ann exclaimed as she rushed to Shiho and gave her a tight hug, which Shiho returned.

"O-Of course I'm okay…" Shiho said softly. "What made you t-think I wasn't?"

"When you didn't respond to my calls, you jerk!" Ann exclaimed angrily. "Let a girl know you're alright next time, okay?"

"Okay…" Shiho replied softly.

"It's funny. We were just talking about you," Ren said with an inviting smile.

Shiho couldn't help but blush at his words. She knew from Ryuji that they could have been talking about her but hearing it from Ren himself, added with that smile, made her quite flustered.

"But, we can talk about that at the restaurant. Since you were buying us all dinner," Ryuji said with a grin. "Yeah, I didn't forget," he joked.

Shiho chuckled and said, "I also remembered. Should we get going then?"

"Shit, I'm down," Ryuji said.

"Same here. I'm so hungry," Ann whined out.

"I guess it's settled then," Ren said with a grin. "To the food!"

"To the food," Shiho and the blondes repeated before they walked off but had Shiho been paying attention, she would have noticed three students watching them leave with narrowed eyes.

**[Scene Change : Ichiran Shibuya (Evening)  
Theme of Relaxation: Hawaii from Persona 5]**

"Ah, man! I love Ichiran's!" Ryuji said as he slurped down his ramen quickly.

"I don't eat Ramen often, but this place does have delicious ramen," Ann followed up as she ate a little more modestly than Ryuji.

"Itadakimasu," Both Ren and Shiho whispered with a clap of their hands before they began to dig in.

The group found themselves at Ichiran Shibuya, a favorite restaurant of Ryuji's, due to Shiho, Ann, and Ren not having a clear idea of what they wanted to eat.

"I can't believe you broke that asshole's nose, RenRen," Ryuji said with a grin on his face as he looked at Ren.

Ren looked at Ryuji with narrowed eyes and repeated, "RenRen?"

"Damn right," Ryuji replied.

"Alright then, Moto-chan," Ren replied with a smile before swallowing some noodles.

"Oh fuck you," Ryuji said with a laugh.

"Moto-chan," Ann added with a giggle.

"Awww, I hate you for making that nickname," Ryuji said.

"Right back at you," Ren replied as he raised his bowl.

Ryuji raised his bowl, and the two males tapped their bowls together with a smile before taking another slurp of the ramen's broth.

Ann and Shiho watched with confused looks.

"But back to the topic of him. I wasn't trying to break his nose. That was just a bonus," Ren said after swallowing more noodles. "I was primarily trying to embarrass him by showing him he wasn't all that. Think I might have gone overboard?"

"No way," Shiho replied. "Kamoshida deserved that and more," She then lowered her head and whispered, "I wish he could have gotten more…"

"I'm sure his life is going to get a whole lot worse," Ren said to her. "Just gotta have faith."

Shiho nodded and gave him a small smile.

"So Amamiya-san. Why don't you tell us about yourself?" Shiho asked.

"Ah, there's not much to tell, really," Ren replied. "I was Captain of the Volleyball team and Student council president at my old school. I love cheesy westerns, and I have a penchant for being a smartass at the worst moments. I also have a natural love for jazz and blues. What about you?"

"A-Ah," Shiho stammered, surprised at the sudden spotlight she felt on her. "W-Well, I enjoy Volleyball, of course, but I really love to sing."

"You sing?" Ren asked.

"Y-Yes," Shiho said happily.

"I've always wanted to sing. What type of songs do you sing?" Ren questioned.

"I'm m-more into metal and pop," Shiho replied.

"Metal? That's pretty cool. I wasn't expecting that," Ren said with a grin.

Shiho flushed and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and said, "Funny to say, I'm enjoying Motörhead, Metallica, and Babymetal right now. As well as Kurono Kiria and Oribe Tsubasa of Fortuna Entertainment."

"That is a diverse range of taste," Ren said, which caused Shiho to blush. "Although that is not a bad thing in my book. It makes you all the more interesting to me."

"I-I do try," Shiho replied, her blush deepening. She reached over and took a sip of her soda to try and cool herself off, and once she did, she looked to Ren and asked, "So, w-what was your old school like?"

"Hey, Ann, why don't we go sit over there for a spell?" Ryuji suggested with a whisper.

Ann looked confused for a moment before he quickly looked to Ren and Shiho then back to her. Ann's eyes lit up in realization before she nodded, and the two silently moved away, leaving Ren and Shiho alone.

"It was great, honestly. The teachers take an interest in your life and help you if you're struggling. The students are some of the brightest there are. Sure, you got your assholes here and there, but since it's a small town, most of us had grown up together, so we all knew each other," Ren answered.

"It sounds like a warm and tight-knit community," Shiho said.

"It is…I miss it truthfully," Ren said. "Things are so much different than here…I'm different here…" Ren replied, his voice taking on a solemn tone.

Shiho took a deep breath, leaned over, and placed her hand on top of Ren's, causing the teen to surprise her.

"You're homesick," Shiho stated.

"I guess I am…" Ren replied before shaking his head with a smile and asked, "Enough about me. What is your favorite food?"

Shiho narrowed her eyes at his clear deflect but decided to let it go and replied, "As of today, this ramen."

"Right, this place as some delicious ramen," Ren replied.

* * *

After moving away from Shiho and Ren to two empty seats on the other end of the restaurant, Ann watched as Shiho and Ren spoke and let a smile appear on her face when she noticed Shiho's wide smile.

"It must be cool to see her so happy," Ryuji said to her with a slight grin on his face.

"Yeah…" Ann replied. " She's been so miserable for a long time. I have to cherish her smile whenever I get the chance."

"You must care for her," Ryuji noted.

"I do…I can't explain it, but it's like she's my soulmate. Not in the sense of being lovers or anything like that, but…Ah, it's stupid," Ann finished lamely.

"Nah, I don't think so," Ryuji said. "I kinda understand what you mean and I think that's pretty cool."

"You think so?" Ann asked.

Ryuji nodded as he sipped his soda.

"Heh, thanks for understanding Ryuji," Ann said with a smile on her face.

Ryuji gave a shrug and a smile.

"I've meant to ask, what do you think of all of this? I mean, that weird place, Ren's powers, Morgana, Kamoshida?" Ann asked him.

"Eh, Kamoshida sucks dick," Ryuji said bluntly. "At first, I thought it was all freaky, but after getting Captain Kidd, it's kind of cool. It's like I have my Stand."

"Wait, you have one too?" Ann asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Captain Kidd is his name. Electricity is his game," Ryuji replied cheekily. "It was pretty fucking weird too. I remember Kamoshida hitting me with some stone-cold words. Then I was in some black void, and a clone of myself hit me with some hard truths. I accepted them, and when I came back, I had a Persona."

"Whoa…That's pretty neat. I wonder if I'll ever get one…" Ann murmured.

"Who knows? Maybe everyone can get one. They just have to have a special trigger to get the ball rolling," Ryuji said. "If somehow you manage to do it, then it'll confirm that theory."

"But that would mean dealing with that castle…I'm not sure if I would want one," Ann grumbled in displeasure.

"Haha, right?" Ryuji replied. "That place is fucking creepy. And to finish your question off, Morgana is a pretty cool cat. Pardon the pun. He thinks he's a human, and despite the cat body, I kinda believe he is."

"You just say that because you adore cats," Ann teased.

"Shaddap," Ryuji replied with a slight blush, making Ann giggle.

"Glad to see that hasn't changed…" Ann said softly.

"Yeah, I'm still the same Ryuji from back then," Ryuji said. "A little bitter than before, but I'm still the same."

"No…Something has changed about you, but it's a very positive change…" Ann replied softly.

Ryuji and Ann stared at each other for a moment before they both looked away with faint blushes on their faces. "I-I just remembered that I have to get to bed early," Ann said.

"Oh cool, cool. Want me to walk you home?" Ryuji asked.

"I'd like that," Ann answered

"Heh, cool," Ryuji replied.

The pair then smiled, despite still looking away from one another.

* * *

"Thanks so much for dinner Shiho, it tasted great," Ryuji said with a smile.

The four friends were now outside the ramen restaurant, Ren and Shiho standing side by side and Ryuji and Ann standing across from them. "I'm glad you suggested the place. It has the best tasting ramen around," Shiho replied.

"So we'll see you guys tomorrow, alright?" Ann asked.

"Of course," Ren replied. "I'll make sure Shiho gets home safely."

Shiho squeaked in surprise and stammered out, "You want t-to walk h-home with me?"

"Of course. Unless yo-" Ren began.

"I'd like that!" Shiho interrupted before she blushed and looked down. "I-I mean…If you like…"

"I'd like that as well," Ren softly said before he looked to Ann and Ryuji and said, "We'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Alright then. Later Shiho, RenRen," Ryuji said as he turned away and began to walk, slipping his hands into his pockets as Ann gave Shiho a brief but tight hug before jogging after Ryuji.

"He knew I was about to call him Moto-chan again," Ren whispered to Shiho, who giggled before they turned and began to walk away.

But had they been watching their surroundings, they would have seen a familiar silver car with four figures in it begin to follow Ren and Shiho.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shibuya (Nighttime)  
Theme of a Good Night: Break it Down (Elp Version) from Persona 5]**

After a brief train ride, Ren and Shiho found themselves walking down an alleyway where her front door was, both of them laughing.

"And that is how my mom met my dad," Ren finished.

"I can't believe that was how they met, her destroying his car thinking it was her cheating ex's," Shiho followed up with a slight giggle.

"Well, at least he knew to never cheat on mom unless he wants his car ruined," Ren added.

Seeing Shiho stop in front of a door, Ren turned and looked at the door and then her and asked, "So I guess this is your stop?"

"This is me," Shiho replied. "I-I had a great time tonight, Amamiya-san…You were a perfect gentleman."

"Ah shucks, I'm glad you had fun. I did too. Maybe we can do it again sometime?" Ren suggested with a friendly smile.

"I-I-I'd like that," Shiho said, her eyes brimming with happiness.

"Well then, ma'am, I bid you goodnight," Ren said as he gave a sweeping bow, which made Shiho snort and then giggled.

Shiho walked up the stairs to her door and unlocked it before she turned around and said "Goodnight Ama…no…Goodnight Ren-kun," before she blushed and walked into her home, leaving a satisfied Ren staring after her.

"Wow, she seemed super happy," Morgana's voice rang out, causing Ren to jump in alarm before he swiveled around to face the amused cat, who was sitting on a balcony above him.

"Can you give me some sort of warning next time Morgana?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, Yeah. So enjoy your date?" Morgana asked.

Ren let a slight blush appeared on his face at the word "date" and replied, "It wasn't a date. It was just two friends hanging out."

"Riiiiight, and I'm a cat," Morgana replied before he leaped down and landed on Ren's shoulder and added, "I know what you're going to say and shut up."

Ren smirked and gave Morgana's head a slight rub, which caused Morgana to duck his head with an embarrassed whine, but Ren could feel the small purr against his shoulder. "Did anything happen with Shiho before she came to school?" Ren asked.

"No idea. It's hard to spy on someone when I can't look into their window. However, Shiho did get to school with no problems," Morgana replied.

"Alright. I want you to keep a lookout. I have a feeling something terrible is going to occur, and I don't want that to happen," Ren told him with a concerned frown on his face.

"Sure, I can do that, but you do owe me one," Morgana replied with a smile.

"Anything you want, buddy," Ren retorted.

"Good. Back on my watch, I go," Morgana said before he leaped off of Ren's shoulder and landed back on the balcony above him.

"Thanks!" Ren exclaimed before he walked down the alleyway to get back onto the street, but without warning, a hand reached out from the shadows, grabbed him from behind, and covered his mouth.

**(Theme of Immediate Danger: Disintegration from Persona 5)**

Ren struggled as hard as he could as a teen stepped out in front of him. From the clothes, he knew that the teen went to Shujin, but there was a medical mask covering his lower face.

"We're sorry, man," The black-haired student said. "He made us do this. It's just business."

Ren then saw the glint of a knife being flicked out and panic immediately filled his veins.

With a muffled shout, he lifted his legs off the ground and kicked the teen in front of him in the chest, sending him stumbling backward, making him drop the knife.

Thanks to the force of the kick, the second teen that held Ren from behind stumbled backward and collided against the wall hard enough to loosen his hold on Ren's body.

Ren quickly tried to run, but the first teen had made it to his feet and pulled Ren back by his jacket and slammed his fist into the back of Ren's head, sending Ren to the ground.

The second teen walked and picked Ren up into a full nelson and said, "This'll be over quick. Just stop fighting it!"

"Easy for you to say!" Ren shouted before he adjusted his leg and reared it backward sharply, nailing the second teen in the balls hard, causing the teen to loosen his hold and wail in agony.

Ren stumbled forward and was about to run again when the first teen's arm dart forward, and it was then Ren felt cold steel enter his right side, causing his eyes to widen in both terror and pain.

Ren staggered backward, looked down at the knife, and let a shaky gasp as he pulled the knife out of his side.

It was drenched with his blood.

"We're sorry, man…" The teen repeated before he and his accomplice ran off, leaving Ren in the alleyway, clutching at his bleeding wound.

He had to get help…he had to search as fast as he could.

Despite the immense pain, Ren pushed himself to his feet and stumbled out into the sidewalk, his vision blurring with each step he took.

He leaned against the building as his breathing became shallow. He was so exhausted. The energy he had been able to summon up was slowly slipping through his fingers like his blood. He could see people spare him a curious glance, but no one bothered to help him.

 _'Damn it…Kamoshida was behind this. I know it,'_ Ren thought.

He had to warn Ryuji…

Pushing himself off the building, leaving a smear of blood on the building wall, Ren slowly walked until he found a bench and sat down on it, too weak to stand.

He pulled out his phone, saw his phone on barely one bar of power, and swore mentally. _'Shit…Gotta make this count…'_ Ren thought while he dialed Ryuji's number and held it to his ear.

_' P-Please answer…I don't know how long I'll be able to hang on…'_

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shibuya (Nighttime)  
Theme of Unknowing Danger: Restlessness from Persona 5]**

"Thanks again for walking me home, Ryuji. I really appreciate it," Ann said with a kind smile as she turned around and looked down at him from the stairs in front of her home.

Ryuji stood on the sidewalk with a slight grin on his face and replied with "No problem Takamaki. We're friends, after all. Besides, I was worried that Kamoshida might pull something on you."

"Still, it's very sweet of you. So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Ann asked before she rolled her eyes and said, "Duh, of course, I'll see you tomorrow."

" You think I'm going to skip school when things have been interesting?" Ryuji joked before he grew silent.

"So…I'll see you tomorrow," Ann said before she turned around to her door.

"Wait!" Ryuji suddenly exclaimed, which caused Ann to look back at him curiously. "Would you…I dunno…mind if I meet you here tomorrow morning so we can go to school…together?" Ryuji asked her with a nervous tone in his voice.

Ann couldn't help but smile, her cheeks reddening very faintly as she replied, "Sure…I'd like that."

"AWE-I mean…Awesome," Ryuji replied with a smile. "So uh…I'll see-"

_"Oh oh oh - I just want to see you smile  
Oh oh oh - If only for a little while!"_

Ryuji dug into his pocket and pulled it out, and said, "It's Ren…"

"Ren? I wonder what he's calling about," Ann said as she walked down the steps to stand in front of Ryuji. "Answer it."

_"Oh oh oh - Let the music put you in a trance  
Oh oh oh - Come on and pump and do the Jamaican da-" _

"Yo RenRen, what's up?" Ryuji asked once he answered the phone.

 _"K-Kaa…"_ Ren's voice replied, sounding weak.

"Yo Ren, you alright, man?" Ryuji asked.

 _"Hurt…Someone…sent by Kamoshida…be..care…."_ Ren replied before Ryuji heard the phone drop onto the ground, and then it went dead.

"Shit…That didn't sound good," Ryuji said. "Ren was attacked."

"Ren was attacked? What about Shiho?!" Ann exclaimed.

"He didn't say. He sounded frail, but before the call went down," Ryuji explained. "Text Shiho and see if she's okay."

Ann nodded and quickly pulled out her phone and texted. After a few seconds, Ann said, "Ren just dropped her off ten minutes ago. She's okay."

"That must mean he's nearby there still…Text me Shiho's address like yesterday. I need to go now," Ryuji said as he turned around and but Ann grabbed his arm.

"If Kamoshida did this…Wouldn't that mean you're in danger too?" Ann asked.

"Yeah…But I'll have to take that risk. Ren saved our lives. It would be bullshit to worry about myself when he's in potential danger," Ryuji said.

"I don't want to see another friend hurt…" Ann whispered.

"I know, but that's a risk I'll have to take," Ryuji said before he gently removed his arm from her grasp and said, "Don't forget to text me Shiho's address, but after you get inside and lock yourself up."

Ann looked down at the ground for a moment before she shook her head and said, "I'm not going to text you her address…because I'm going with you."

"What?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"He saved my life too, didn't he?" Ann asked. Before Ryuji could reply, she said, "It would be hypocritical for you to use that line to throw yourself into danger while I sit in the safety of my own home."

"Fine, but the minute shit starts to go down, you run," Ryuji said.

Ann nodded, and together, the two ran down the sidewalk towards the nearest train station's direction.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shibuya (Nighttime)  
Theme of Dreariness: Nothingness…! From Persona 5]**

Makato was having a rough day.

Her fellow student council members disapproved of her choice of bringing a newcomer, especially **him** , into their fold. The disapproval was so strong that the student council was forcing Makoto to either cut Amamiya loose or she would be removed from the group.

Add in the increasing fear that the students had about their well-being, which made the recipe for her headache.

She just didn't get it.

Why were they all against her for doing the right thing? Amamiya had the credentials and knowledge of being a student council president himself at his previous school and helping a rehabilitating criminal would look good on her record as she moved forward in her life.

And yet once again, she was met with scorn for her decisions.

Why did they despise her so much?

 **"You know why they despise you…"** A dark voice cooed within her mind.

 _'Shut up!'_ Makoto exclaimed. She didn't know when it started, but lately, this dark presence had been in the back of her mind. She tried to ignore it the best she could, but then it began to speak to her, picking away at her insecurities and worries.

 **"All you care about are perfect marks. You don't care about those people, and they know it,"** The voice continued. **"Not to mention, they know you are shying away from investigating what Kamoshida truly is…"**

 _' I'm not shying away! There is nothing that I can do. I am only a child!'_ Makoto argued, but that sounded weak, even to her.

 **"And yet the supposed criminal cares enough to investigate…"** The voice retorted.

Makoto stopped dead in her tracks at this.

 _'Of course, he cares. He's trying to make himself look good,'_ Makoto thought, more to herself than to the voice but then she remembered his words.

_"At Gorin, the student council was looked up to by all the students that resided there. We swore an oath to help all of those in need, which is my personal creed as well. Any of my peers that went back on that creed was instantly expelled. No one was exempt. Not even me."_

_"I've been here a single day and noticed a lot of issues in this place. From how sad the students are to how everyone treats Kamoshida as a king. We would be fools to ignore it."_

_' We would be fools to ignore it…'_ Makoto repeated with narrowed eyes. _'Why do you care this much for people who hate you?'_ Makoto questioned with annoyance.

As Makoto turned the corner to head to her apartment, she noticed something on her building wall. She leaned forward and took a sniff.

 _'Blood? Why is blood here?'_ She questioned. She then noticed that there were blood drops on the ground. She began to follow it until she saw something that stopped her heart cold.

A few feet away, sitting on a bench, was the object of her thoughts, with his head slumped down and his phone on the ground.

And the phone was sitting in a pool of blood.

"Ren!"


	7. The Darkest Shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ann Takamaki: Warning everyone! This chapter will have an attempted rape scene. Reader Discretion is advised.

**[Opening Scene: Shibuya (Nighttime)  
Theme of Horror: Just Like This from Persona 3]**

"Ren!" Makoto exclaimed as she rushed to the teen and knelt in front of him, not caring about the blood soaking her left knee.

Ren was thankfully breathing, but he was very pale and bordering on losing consciousness. She looked around and saw the adults around her continued to walk by as if nothing was wrong.

Why didn't they stop?

Didn't they see him like this?

"Can I get some help? My friend is bleeding out!" Makoto exclaimed, but the adults didn't spare her a glance.

They just kept walking past her.

Makoto reached into her bag, pulled out her gym shirt, pressed it against his wound, then reached into her pocket and began to dial for the police.

But as she looked down at his phone, she noticed two things. The first thing was a regular-sized notebook, and the other was on his cellphone. Makoto noticed that the last person he called wasn't the police; it was Sakamoto Ryuji.

 _' Why would he call Ryuji and not the ambulance?'_ Makoto questioned with narrowed eyes. Without warning, his body began to slump to the left, which jarred her from her thoughts, and quickly moved to hold him upright.

That seemed to jar Ren awake because his eyes opened weakly. "Ma…Mako…to?" Ren muttered.

Makoto jumped in surprise and look up at him, his eyes unfocused and distant, not like the intense stormy gray she had remembered seeing the last time they spoke.

It looked strange to see him look so weak.

"You're awake…Don't worry, we'll get you some help," Makoto said, trying to offer him a calming smile.

"Protect…Shiho…" Ren breathed out. "Kamo…Shi…he…did this…Please w…watch ov…"

"Kamoshida did this?" Makoto asked him, but his head slumped down, going unconscious once again. "Ren!" Makoto yelled out. It was then she heard the police's voice on the other line.

As she spoke to the police, she grabbed his phone, took down Ryuji's number, and returned his phone into his pocket but took his notebook and slid it beside her.

* * *

The moment Ann and Ryuji got off the train to the Shibuya and made their way to Shiho's apartment, they noticed a crowd of people surrounding an ambulance.

"Shit…There's an ambulance," Ryuji murmured to Ann as the pair looked at it. "I have a bad feeling about it. We should check it out…" Ann urged

Ryuji nodded in agreement before the pair ran towards the crowd. The duo shoved their way through the crowd until their hearts stopped.

Getting loaded up on a stretcher was a bloody, pale-looking Ren. "Ren!" Ryuji shouted as he pushed himself through the ground and made his way to his friend's side.

"Oh my god, Ren…" Ann whispered as she stood beside the angered and worried Ryuji.

"Sir, ma'am, we're going to need you two to back away at once," One of the EMTs said as he pushed Ryuji backward.

"What happened to him?!" Ryuji yelled angrily.

"We don't have times for your questions, kid," the other EMT said before he and his partner hoisted the stretcher up and pushed it into the ambulance before the two hopped in. Soon the crowd dispersed, leaving Ann and Ryuji looking at the blood-soaked ground.

"Damn it!" Ryuji raged furiously.

"Oh, Ren…" Ann murmured sadly.

"I know what happened to him," A voice said from behind them. Ryuji and Ann turned around to see Makoto behind him with a rolled-up shirt in her hands, which dripped with Ren's blood.

Both Ryuji and Ann could see the harrowed, haunted expression on Makoto's face as she stood there.

Ann frowned and said, "What are you doing here, Niijima-san?"

"I was heading home when I saw him. I'm the one that called for help and kept him alive until they came to help," Makoto said, her voice taking on a defensive edge.

"Now you choose to help," Ann frowned.

"Is this really the right time for this?" Ryuji questioned.

"I'm not going to leave someone to die," Makoto said before she took a breath and told Ann, "Look, do you want to know what happened or do you want to argue?"

Ann opened her mouth, but Ryuji said, "Look. I don't want you guys to fight, and I don't want to be a dick about it, but our friend is lying in an ambulance with blood all over him. I'd rather get the full story."

Ann closed her mouth and muttered, "Fine…"

"Small miracles," Makoto sighed out. "One important thing to note. I believe we should have Suzui-san with us."

"What does Shiho have to do with this?" Ann asked.

"He mentioned her by name before he passed out," Makoto answered with a frown.

"I do not want to involve Shiho in this," Ann said with a protective tone, a scowl written on her face.

Makoto took a sharp breath and said, "She's already involved if what Re-"

"Shiho cannot be involved with this," Ann angrily interrupted before her gaze softened. "She would never be able to live with the guilt if she found out she was somehow involved with what happened to Ren…"

"Very well," Makoto acquiesced.

Makoto reached to her phone and dialed a few buttons, and seconds later, Ryuji's phone buzzed, much to his surprise. "There's my address. My place is nearby here. Meet me there once you finish talking to Suzui. I'm going to wash up."

"How did you get my number?" Ryuji asked.

"I saw it on Ren's phone. Meet me there in twenty minutes," Makoto said before she walked away.

Once Makoto was out of earshot, Ann looked to Ryuji and said, "I hate her."

"I know. I could tell," Ryuji said. "But she knows what happened to Ren, and we need to find out. So come on, let's make sure Shiho is alright and then get the answers we need."

* * *

**[Scene Change: Suzui Residence (Nighttime)  
Theme of Horror: Just Like This from Persona 3]**

Shiho had just stepped out of the shower with a happy expression on her face. Her hanging out with Ren had gone great, and she was so delighted that he had walked her home. She had forgotten how wonderful it felt to be this happy.

"Shiho! You have guests!" her mother called out.

"Guests? At this time?" Shiho questioned, pushing back the bitterness when she heard her mother's voice.

Shiho walked down the stairs of her home and opened the door to see Ann and Ryuji on the other side.

Shiho greeted them with a smile, but that melted away when she noticed the dreadful expressions on their faces.

"You both look terrible. What's wrong?" Shiho asked the pair.

"It's about Ren…" Ann began.

"Can we talk in your room?" Ryuji asked her.

And it was then she knew that things were going to get worse.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Niijima Residence (Nighttime)  
Theme of The Longest Night: Between Doors from Persona 3: FES]**

Hot water poured down Makoto's bare body as she stood in the shower, her eyes closed and her breathing slow and relaxed.

If there was one thing that she had to have after every rough day was a long, hot shower, and after today, she really needed to indulge in it.

But Makoto's mind kept going back to Ren. His words, his blood but it was his unfocused, distant eyes that kept appearing in her mind, troubling her. She turned off the water and let out a sigh of annoyance.

Even when he's injured, he was a thorn in her side.

Makoto stepped out of the shower and walked to her bedroom, and tossed on a simple black t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, and a moment later, she heard a knock on the door.

"Must be them," Makoto murmured. Drying off her hair quickly, she walked to her door and peeped through the hole to see Ryuji and Ann on the other side.

Makoto opened her door and said, "Please come in."

The duo walked into her apartment, with Ryuji giving it an impressed look. "What a place you got here, Niijima-san. It kind of fits your personality. Simple and Clean," Ryuji said with approval.

While many others would see Sakamoto Ryuji as a nuisance, she was envious of the punk blond.

Ryuji was rebellious, mischievous, disobedient, vulgar, and aggressive punk of a student that spoke his mind and didn't give a damn who heard.

He wasn't heald by the leash of expectations like she was.

He didn't have to deal with the raging storm of perfection that she had to sail through.

He didn't have to conform or be someone he wasn't like she had to be.

To Makoto, Ryuji represented the freedom she wished she had.

"Why, thank you, Sakamoto-san," Makoto said, taking no offense to Shujin's Punk. "I do try to keep my life as pristine as possible."

Makoto could see Ann frown at her words, but she shrugged it off.

Makoto had no idea why Takamaki Ann hated her so much. Makoto had done nothing to her, and yet, the bombshell blonde loathed her.

It didn't matter that Takamaki hated her.

The entire school did, so Makoto didn't hold it against her.

 **"It's because she sees you for what you are. Just like they do,"** The familiar voice whispered in her head, but Makoto ignored it.

But why couldn't she stop the pang in her heart at those words?

Makoto walked to her couch and sat down then motioned for the blond duo to sit as she said, "Make yourselves comfortable but not too much. No telling when my sister gets home. I don't want her to come home to a mess."

"No worries, we won't be here long," Ann told her with a cold tone as she sat down on the couch.

Makoto exhaled and said, "I get it, Takamaki-san. You do not want to be here. But for the sake of your friend whose life I _saved_ , let's shelve your hostility for me and get through this. Got it?"

"Crystal," Ann hissed out.

The room became tense as Makoto let a serious look appear on her face. "When I found Ren, he had been stabbed in the stomach," Makoto began.

She could see Ryuji and Ann tense up, with Ann's eyes starting to glisten with unshed tears. "It was a terrible wound because there was quite a bit of blood loss. The last words he said to me was that Kamoshida did this."

She watched a look of realization hit Ryuji before a dark scowl appeared on his face. "Fucking Kamoshida…" He growled out.

"But he told me something else. He told me that Shiho must be protected," Makoto said. "I don't know if he wanted me specifically to protect her or if she just needed protection in general, but those were his words."

"I see…" Ann asked softly.

"Yeah. That's why I felt it prudent for Suzui-san to be here," Makoto replied. "If I'm putting the pieces together right, Amamiya-san wants to protect Shiho from Kamoshida…And you as well, Takamaki-san."

She watched as Ann shook her head softly with a murmur of "Me?" with Ryuji's eyes locked on her with a worried frown.

"Look…" Makoto said. "I've spoken to Amamiya-san before, and he's had issues with how possessive Kamoshida is to you, Ann."

Ann cringed at this and asked, "You guys heard that?"

"He and I overheard you talk with Kamoshida, yes. We both noted how he sounded possessive of you and when it was over, you ran away in tears. Amamiya-san was very concerned about this and wanted to investigate what Kamoshida has been doing to everyone," Makoto explained.

"With all of this taken into account, I believe he found something that involves Shiho-san, and it caused him to get attacked by Kamoshida…Leading to the events of tonight…" Makoto finished.

"Did he say what he found?" Ryuji asked.

"No…He just said Kamoshida did this and to protect Suzai-san," Makoto replied. "But it makes me curious as to what he found and why he contacted you Ryuji instead of the police after he was stabbed."

"Why are you so curious?" Ann suddenly asked. "You didn't care at all about what everyone else is going through with Kamoshida before. All that matters to you is your perfect marks and your paragon image, so why the hell do you suddenly care?"

"Ann…" Ryuji began.

"No, Ryuji!" Ann exclaimed as she stood up from the couch, anger showing in her eyes. "Niijima-san thinks just because she helped Ren that she can suddenly thrust herself into something she didn't bother to care about before when we all suffered in silence!"

"What is in it for you, Niijima-san? Do you want to take away the one person that cares about what people are going through? Or are you planning to rat him to Kamoshida yourself so you can look good in his eyes? Well, whatever you plan to do, you can go fuck off!"And with that, Ann marched out of Makoto's apartment, slamming the door behind her as hard as she could.

Makoto immediately clenched her fists, a burst of anger flaring in her eyes but as quick as it appeared, it was snuffed out, replaced by a blank expression. Makoto looked to Ryuji and said, "That is what happened…"

"Thanks for telling us," Ryuji said. "And I'm sure Ren will thank you later for this, but still. Thanks for saving our friend."

"It was the right thing to do," Makoto said with a slight nod.

"Well, I better get out of here, catch you later," Ryuji said with a nod before he walked out of the apartment, leaving Makoto in her living room alone.

Makoto walked back into her room, sat down on her bed, and saw her bloody gym shirt.

She walked towards it and unfurled it to reveal Ren's journal and said, "They may not want to tell me, but you will Amamiya-san…"

* * *

**[Scene Change: Suzui Residence (Nighttime)  
Theme of The Longest Night: Between Doors from Persona 3: FES]**

At the sound of knocking on the door, Shiho's head snapped up from the pillow, her cheeks wet with tears.

"Come on, Shiho. Open the door," Her mother ordered. "You have a call!"

Shiho buried her face into the pillow, wanting nothing more than to smother herself in it.

The night had gone so well.

But now, it was all torn asunder.

 _'Ren….'_ Shiho thought tearfully, only for her mother to open her door. "Suzui Shiho!" Her mother exclaimed, which caused Shiho to look at the woman with barely hidden contempt shining through her teary eyes.

"Are you deaf? Did you not hear me telling you to open the door?" Her mother angrily asked before she hissed out, "Forget it. You have a phone call. It's Yuuki Mishima," her mother said, which caused Shiho to pale.

Her mother tossed the phone at her and left the room.

Shiho stared at it, a look of dread on her face before she picked up the phone and murmured "Hello Yuuki-san…" as she walked to her bed to sit down.

 _"Hey, Suzui-san…"_ Mishima said with that familiar empty tone that made her stomach curl. _"Kamoshida-sensei wants you to meet him early tomorrow morning,"_ Mishima said softly.

"Kamoshida wants to see me tomorrow m-morning," Shiho stammered out. "W-Why did he have you tell me now?" Shiho asked him.

 _"I don't know, but it's what he ordered me to tell you…From the tone of his voice, he sounded like he didn't want a "no" for an answer…"_ Mishima replied sadly.

"O-Okay," Shiho said before she hung up the phone. Slowly, her eyes drifted over to her work desk, specifically to the desk's second drawer where her knife was hidden.

 **"All you have to do is turn that knife to your chest and plunge it in…"** the voice whispered inside of her head. Shiho gazed at the drawer longingly.

But after a moment, Shiho shook her head.

She couldn't do it. Not to Ann, Ryuji and Ren.

So instead, Shiho curled up in her bed and began to sob, not wanting to face tomorrow morning, especially knowing that Ren wouldn't be there.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shibuya (Nighttime)  
Theme of The Longest Night: Between Doors from Persona 3: FES]**

But unbeknownst to Shiho, sitting beneath her open windowsill was her four-legged protector, Morgana.

 _' So Kamoshida wants to meet her tomorrow, huh? I better find a way into that school…'_ Morgana thought to himself with a frown before jumped down from the windowsill.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy (Daytime - Rainy)  
Theme of Horror: Just Like This from Persona 3]**

_"Shiho!" Ann screamed as she pushed through the crowd with Ryuji and Ren behind her. The three found themselves standing over her bleeding body, tears falling down her eyes. "W-Why did you do this?" Ann sobbed out._

_Ren lowered his head while Ryuji's fists were clenched so tightly, blood was flowing from between his fingers with a rage-filled expression on his face._

_"I-I'm sorry. I just wanted the pain to stop," Shiho whimpered before her eyes drifted closed. The last sight she saw was the horrified looks on the three teens._

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shibuya Hospital (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of an Injured Thief: I Will Give You… From Persona 5: The Royal]**

Ren's head snapped up from the hospital bed, panting heavily, his eyes glowing a bright cobalt blue before fading into the familiar storm gray before he gasped as the intense pain in his side immediately struck.

 **"You're awake,"** A familiar voice said.

Ren turned his head and found himself staring at his doppelgänger, but he knew well enough that this was Arsène by now.

And around Arsène were several nurses that were frozen time.

"Arsène, What are you doing here and where am I?" Ren asked

 **"You were stabbed and taken to this hospital,"** Arsène noted with an amused grin on his face. **"Not the first time. Won't be the last either."**

Ren chuckled and said, "Sure did hurt for not being my first time." The gentleman thief held his hand out to Ren.

Ren grabbed the hand and was hoisted to his feet, but the pain in his side caused him to stumble towards Arsène, who caught him and placed a hand on the wound.

 **"Relax. You are in safe hands,"** Arsène told him calmly.

"I know," Ren replied with a grateful smile. "So…Why and how are you here?"

 **"Remember the first time you saw me? While I can only do it in short bursts, I can appear here. The reason I am here is that I am here to warn you,"** Arsène told him.

"Warn me about what?" Ren asked.

 **"Everything before this moment has been nothing but a prologue for you and your team,"** Arsène told him. **"But today is the day that things will change and will put you on your path to becoming a Phantom thief, and you need to be there with them instead of in the hospital."**

"But I was stabbed, and from what I remember, there was a lot of blood. How can I get out of here when I was so thoroughly fucked up?" Ren questioned.

Arsène smirked at this and said, **"And that is the joy of being a Persona user, Ren. The healing factor. You can absorb a lot more damage than most humans, and when you do, you heal at a faster rate. It's not enough to stave off a killing blow like a bullet, sword, and an ax to the head, but it can save you in a dire situation."**

"So should I be healed then?" Ren asked him.

 **"Not fully if you wake up now but just enough where you can leave,"** Arsène answered. **"Now go, it's time for you to begin your true purpose!"**

And with that, time unfroze, and Ren found himself standing in front of a mirror. He was still pale and felt weak, but the intense pain in his side that he had briefly felt when he woke up to Arsène had somewhat dulled.

He lifted his hospital gown and peeled back the large bandage, and to his surprise, the vast wound he expected to be there was a medium-sized gash that he could see the ethereal lime-green sparkles that were healing him.

Ren grinned.

_'I'm not out of the game yet…'_

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Dreariness: Nothingness…! From Persona 5]**

"Yo, Suzui!"

Shiho turned around to see Ryuji and Ann running up towards her. Shiho had been a wreck since she found out what happened to Ren the night before. Despite what Ann told her last night, Shiho had a feeling that Kamoshida had something to do with Ren getting hurt the way he did.

He was used to her being "His" plaything, and now that she was talking to Ren, Kamoshida didn't like that fact and hurt him.

It was all her fault that he was nearly murdered, she just knew it, and that thought alone kept her up all night to the point that she was sleeping during all of her classes today.

"Shiho!" Ann's voice rang out in front of her, causing Shiho to blink rapidly.

"W-What…Ann-chan. Ryuji-kun, How did you two get here so fast?" Shiho asked.

"We've been trying to snap you out of your daze for like three minutes," Ryuji said. "I called out to you, you turned around, and then you zoned out."

"You look so exhausted," Ann murmured as she touched Shiho's face. "Did you get any sleep?"

Shiho couldn't help but let a tiny smile appear on her face at this. Ann worried so much about her safety sometimes that it made her feel like she was worth something.

"Sorry, Ann-chan," Shiho apologized. "I had a lot on my mind, considering what happened to Ren-kun," Shiho responded with a tired smile.

"That's understandable," Ryuji said.

"Just try to get some rest tonight, okay?" Ann asked, her voice taking on a begging tone.

"I'll be okay, Ann-chan. I promise," Shiho told her.

"Okay. I know that you're feeling awful about Ren, but he wouldn't want you to lose rest because of him," Ann told her.

"I know. I'll be okay. I plan to see Ren-kun after school today," Shiho said with a small smile.

"Yeah, we'll all go see him today," Ryuji said with a grin on his face.

"Will Sakamoto Ryuji please come to the Student Council room immediately. Sakamoto Ryuji to the Student Council room. Thank you," The intercom rang out.

"Student Council?" Both Ann and Shiho questioned as the pair looked to Ryuji.

"Hell if I know," Ryuji said with a shrug. "Well, I better go see what's going on then. You guys get to class safely and watch your asses."

"We will," the two chorused out before Ryuji ran off.

"I better get to class as well…Please be careful, Shiho," Ann said before she embraced Shiho, who returned the hug gratefully before Ann ran off.

Shiho watched Ann leave, and the tiny smile on her face broke away to reveal a sullen expression, which only deepened when she saw the familiar gloomy face of Mishima.

Shiho noticed the large gash on the side of Mishima's face and felt the growing emptiness within her smother the concern she had for him.

The only time she saw him nowadays was during practice and as the personal messenger for Kamoshida.

Shiho sighed as the teen walked towards her with his head bowed in surrender.

But if she had paid a little more attention, she would have noticed a small black tuxedo cat watching from a distance with narrowed blue eyes.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy – Student Council Room (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Dreariness: Nothingness…! From Persona 5]**

"Niijima-san, you look exhausted."

Makoto looked up from her desk to see Ryuji standing in front of her.

After Sakamoto and Takamaki had left her home, Makoto had read through Amamiya's journal and found herself stunned by everything he had written in it.

Castles.

Shadows.

Thieves.

King Kamoshida.

There was so much in there that she felt mentally exhausted. So much so that she nearly fell asleep during her classes, something very unbecoming of her.

But did she believe it?

Considering how much detail was behind it and other strange things, she found herself believing what she had read, but despite that, she needed to see this for herself instead of relying on the words of a bloody journal.

Hence why she called Sakamoto to her office. She knew she could have called Takamaki but admittedly, the blonde-haired girl had been pissed off at her, more so than usual, and had Makoto called her in instead of Sakamoto, there would have been a fight.

Besides, Sakamoto seemed to be more easing going than Takamaki.

"I am, but that is beside the point," Makoto wryly said. "Have you heard anything about Amamiya-san?"

She watched as Sakamoto frowned and answered with, "Nah, we know nothing yet. I'm getting worried truthfully…"

"He did lose a lot of blood last night," Makoto told him with a frown on her face. "It may be some time until he fully recovers."

"Yeah…Now let's cut the bullshit," Sakamoto told her with a grin. "It's obvious you didn't call me in here to talk about Ren, so what's up, Niijima-san?"

"Straight to the point. I like that about you, Sakamoto-san," Makoto said. "So, I'll return that in kind. Ren dropped his journal the other night. This journal detailed everything that has been going on in his life. I need to know if what is in here is true."

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Does this castle of Kamoshida's really exist? Do Personas exist?"

Despite her tired mind, she could see a hint of alarm in Sakamoto's eyes before a chill expression crossed his face. "What the hell is a Persona?" Ryuji asked.

"Don't try and lie to me. It says you have one. Captain Kidd. Electricity powers…" Makoto said slyly.

"No idea what you're talking abou-Oh! Persona! That's the name Ren's writing for his book," Sakamoto explained.

"A book?" Makoto repeated.

"Yeah. Ren's been writing a book about these beings known as "Persona." Basically, they are the power your inner self has," he explained. "He was having trouble coming up with names and shit, so I suggested that he use the people at school as placeholders until he came up with his names."

"Really?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah. I mean Captain Kidd? He's a famous pirate from the old days. He was a living being, so why would he be this mythical guy with electricity now?" Sakamoto asked her. "It's all a story. I even gave him the name of Captain Kidd since I do enjoy my pirates."

Makoto was impressed.

She knew full damn well that Sakamoto was lying due to what was in the notebook, but she was damned impressed at how easy he improvised that explanation so quickly and seamlessly. If she didn't have the notebook, she might have believed him.

Makoto opened her mouth, but it was then the bell rang, signifying the start of their first class.

She would let him off the hook for now.

"That explains it then," Makoto said with a smile on her face. "Well, I hope you don't mind. I keep the notebook until Ren gets better then, right?"

"Sure, no skin of my shaft," Ryuji said with a shrug. "So, was that all you called me for?"

"Yes. Thank you, Sakamoto-san. You answered my question with flying colors," Makoto replied with a grin.

"Cool, I'm out of here. Late," Ryuji said as he walked out of the room, leaving Makoto alone.

 _'Now all I need to know is how they achieved this power…And what they will do with it,'_ Makoto thought to herself with a slight grin.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy – Kamoshida's Office (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Immediate Danger: Disintegration from Persona 3]**

"Hey Suzui-chan," Kamoshida said with a kind smile, which made Shiho frown in disgust. "You've been ducking my calls. Why is that?" Kamoshida asked.

"I-I've been busy," Shiho told him with a small stammer.

"Busy, you say? Busy with what?" Kamoshida questioned. "Because last I remember, whenever I pick up my phone, you answer it no matter what. That is the agreement we had for me not to subject Ann to my desires, remember?"

"I remember," Shiho gloomily replied.

"And yet, you've clearly disobeyed my orders," Kamoshida said as he rose from his desk and walked towards her. Shiho began to back away into a corner to keep herself away from his grasp, but when she felt her back hit the wall behind her, she found herself bathed in the shadow of this hulking man.

"And you know the price of disobeying…" Kamoshida said as he lifted his hand, which made Shiho flinch, expecting the hit but instead, she felt Kamoshida's hand caress her cheek softly, which made her look up at him with confusion.

"I won't hit you, Suzui-chan…No, I plan to do a lot more to you. Something that will bring us both to a rather agreeable solution…" Kamoshida said with a sickening grin.

How Shiho wished she could knock it off his face.

"How long have we done this torrid affair Suzui-chan?" Kamoshida asked.

"T-Too long," Shiho whispered shamefully, but she bet that she sounded like a love-struck idiot to his ears.

"Yes, it has been such a wonderful time but don't you think it's time for us to take things to a higher level?" Kamoshida asked.

Shiho looked at him with a look of horror. "Y-You mean s-s-sex?" she stammered out. Her fears were quickly confirmed when Kamoshida's grin grew more prominent. "I-I can't…I won't!" Shiho said.

"You won't?" Kamoshida asked. "You know what would happen if you refused, right? I'll kick you right out of the Volleyball team. You know Ann will try to convince me for you to stay a member, and we both know she'll bend the world for you."

"You must not know h-her well…A-Ann wouldn't sell her body, not for me or for anyone else because she's stronger than that!" Shiho exclaimed, anger filling her veins as she suddenly pushed him with all of her might, making him stumble backward with that shit-eating grin still on his face.

"Well, if that won't convince you, perhaps Amamiya's life will?" Kamoshida suggested, stopping Shiho cold, her trembling hand hovering above the doorknob.

"W-What?" Shiho stammered out as she slowly turned back to look at him. "W-What did you say?"

"It was a shame about what happened to him. To be walking home only to get stabbed and put near-death…." Kamoshida continued as he leaned against his desk with his arms crossed. "It would be a tragedy for him to die, wouldn't I?"

"Y-You…You did that to him?" Shiho asked. "You nearly killed him…For leverage against me?" Shiho asked, her voice showing her disbelief. "Y-You really are a monster…"

"Me? I'm an Olympic gold medalist Suzui-chan," Kamoshida said. "And the Volleyball couch for our glorious school, Shujin Academy. How could I, a hero of Japan, be a monster?"

Kamoshida then let a dark smirk form on his face as he said, "Now if there was a monster in this room between the two of us, that title belongs to you. Are you willing to let one friend sell her body to me and outside forces murder the other friend? What kind of person are you to let that happen?"

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy – (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Immediate Danger: Disintegration from Persona 3]**

"Yo, Ann!"

Ann turned around to see Ryuji running up to her, a look of panic on his face, and instantly grew worried. "Ryuji, are you alright?" Ann asked.

"I'm fine but remind me to kill Ren when I get the chance," Ryuji said. Ann looked at him in confusion, which prompted Ryuji to explain. "So Niijima-san pulled me into her office and told me she read Ren's journal she found at the scene where he was stabbed."

Ann scowled. "What?"

"Yeah, it's fucked," Ryuji said.

"Well, I d-don't think that would be a reason to fuck me up though Ryuji," A weak-sounding Ren suddenly said from behind them, prompting Ann and Ryuji to turn around.

With his skin pale and his legs shaking, Ren leaned against the railing, wearing his academy uniform, minus his blazer.

"Ren!" The two shouted and rushed to him to hug him.

"Hey, guys…" Ren murmured as he returned their hug with one of his own.

"You look awful…How in the hell did you get here?" Ann commented as she touched Ren's cheek.

"Yeah, dude, what the hell? You just got stabbed last night, and you looked near death. You should be healing, not doing stupid shit like this," Ryuji told him with a scowl.

"I know, but I'm healed enough," Ren said, but as he took a step forward, his legs buckled, and he nearly fell, but Ryuji and Ann caught him with their arms.

"Healed my ass, you need to go back," Ann told him with a worried frown on her face.

With a shake of his head, Ren gently pulled away from them and asked the pair, "Where is Shiho?"

"I don't know. I was pulled away by an announcement," Ryuji said.

"I was going to class, so I have no idea either," Ann said.

Ren's eyes widened in horror as he began to stalk towards the stairs as he said, "We need to find her quickly. Something horrible is about to happen to her, and if we don't stop it, she'll jump off the roof to her death!"

"She'll what?!" Ann and Ryuji chorused out in unison.

"The day that it happened, I had a vision of her on the ground with blood around her. The last few days, more of these visions kept appearing. Kamoshida does something heinous to her, and in turn, she'll try to commit suicide," Ren explained.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy – Kamoshida's Office (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Immediate Danger: Disintegration from Persona 3]**

Shiho felt tears pricking her eyes as her breath began to quicken as Kamoshida's smirk deepened. He was getting off torturing her like this.

Putting the fate of her best friend and a person she was starting to care about in her hands.

If it was just Ann, she knew Ann was strong enough to withstand Kamoshida and his mind games and threats, but Ren was innocent in all of this.

He was just a new student that got mixed up in her horrid affairs, and he had been stabbed for his troubles. He was fighting for his life, and she was putting him at risk for death if she didn't comply.

And even if she still left and things fell into place, who would believe her? Who would think to trust the words of a high school girl over an Olympic Gold Medalist who is beloved by all?

She would be laughed out of Japan.

It was genuinely hopeless.

"It seems you understand that there is no way out of this that you can win from…So with that said, I want you to come over here and get on your knees," Kamoshida told her, his voice calm and inviting but all Shiho could hear was her heart beating with hopelessness as well as rage.

Slowly, she turned around with her shoulders slumped and walked to the other side where Kamoshida sat and whispered, "I-I submit to you Kamoshida-sensei…"

A slow smirk began to form on Kamoshida's face as he reached up and carefully stroked her cheek.

"Such a beautiful sight," he told her, making Shiho sick to her stomach.

Luckily, his touch stopped, and he leaned back in his chair and said, "I want you to pull down my pants and service me Suzui-chan to begin our long and beautiful day together."

Tears began to form in Shiho's eyes as she began to do as he told her to, tugging down his pants as slowly as possible before his large hand smacked against her cheek, sending her falling to the side.

"Faster," Kamoshida said, his pleasant tone never changing.

With her cheek stinging, Shiho whimpered and leaned up and swiftly tugged down his pants in one fell swoop, and to her dismay, the sight of her future displeasure was front and center. "Go ahead, Suzui-chan…" Kamoshida goaded. "Give your master its well-deserved kiss."

With tears freely flowing from her face, a sobbing Shiho began to lean forward to do the deed, but without warning, the fire alarm began to go off, distract the pair.

Seconds later, a cat's yell was heard, and a black tuxedo cat with angry blue eyes sprang up from the shadows and collided with his face, causing Kamoshida to shriek in terror as his chair whipped backward.

Shiho scrambled back as Kamoshida cursed up a storm. She quickly ran towards the door, but just as she made it to the door, the cat was thrown and slammed against the wall hard before slumping to the ground.

She looked to see Kamoshida climbing to his feet, and there were several claw marks with blood dripping from his face. Shiho quickly grabbed the cat and rushed out the door only to see dozens of students running down the stairs in a panic.

Shiho looked from left to right before she ran to the girls' bathroom and cowered inside of a stall, holding onto her savior, who meowed weakly in her grasp, her breathing quick and shallow.

She can't do this anymore.

She failed, and because of her failure, Ann would become Kamoshida's sick sexual slave, and Ren, he was going to die.

Guilt began to build up in her stomach as she began to sob heavily.

 **"You can stop it…"** That familiar dark but sweet voice whispered in the back of her mind. **"Do it…The pain…The suffering…The betrayal…It can all go away. Just let go. We can be free from all of the pains your heart feels…"**

**"You have been sullied by his touch. Your soul is forever tainted by the humiliation of what he nearly had you do. Your life is ruined, but it's not too late to claim the peace you have long sought, my Shiho…It's time for you to let go of your worries and fears. Just jump and embrace eternity with me…"**

Shiho's eyes flashed yellow before fading back into their original color. Her shoulders slumped forward as she whispered, "I…I'm tired of this life. I am tired of being used and abused. I'm so tired. I just want it all to end…"

She gently placed the cat down on the floor and whispered, "I don't know where you came from but thank you for saving me from that monster…" She gave the cat a small pet and told the cat, "But it's time for me to find some peace finally…"

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy – (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Immediate Danger: Disintegration from Persona 3]**

"Good idea on using the fire alarm to clear the place out Ren," Ryuji said as the three teens walked up the stairs.

"I just hope no one saw," Ren said. "I don't need to be expelled. Otherwise, it's the lockup for me."

"I'll take the hit for it if anyone did," Ryuji said. "I'm used to that shit."

"We both will," Ann said. The two made it to Kamoshida's office and saw that the door was wide open.

"Another goal for the fire alarm was to interrupt anything if it was going down and looks like it worked," Ren said.

Ryuji quickly walked into the room and looked around.

Everything was in disarray. It looked like there was a struggle, but Kamoshida and Shiho were nowhere to be seen.

"Shit! Kamoshida's gone," Ryuji swore in anger as he walked from the back of Kamoshida's desk to Ann and Ren, both of which stood at the doorway of the empty office.

"A-And Shiho is nowhere to be seen…" Ann whispered as she fell to her knees, tears falling from her face. "T-This is what he meant…By something terrible happening to her…He meant this…It's my fault. It's all m-my fault."

"Ann…" Ryuji murmured.

"All this time, I was trying to protect her f-from him…And a-all I did w-was feed her to him…" Ann tearfully whispered as she looked to Ren and then to Ryuji, who had knelt down in front of her. "T-This is my fault…I should have just had se-"

"Snap out of it!" Ryuji suddenly yelled, an angry look in his eyes. "None of this is your fault, Ann! Kamoshida is the asshole here using students as his personal playthings. We are supposed to look up to them and protect them. He abused that trust and caused all of this hell for everyone." Ryuji told her firmly. "He's the asshole here. Not you."

Ann sniffled and nodded her head. "You're right…He's the asshole. Not me," Ann murmured as she looked into Ryuji's eyes and said with a strong voice, "We need to find them, and we need to make him pay."

"Damn right!" Ryuji said with a determined smirk on his face. "Yo Ren-Ren, what's the plan on finding this dick?"

"Mishima. We find Mishima," Ren weakly responded.

"That's perfect," Ann said. "Kamoshida uses Mishima for everything. If anyone knew where he is, it would be him."

"That's a good idea. Let's go find that fucker," Ryuji said with a grim look on his face.

The three walked out of the room, but Ren noticed drops of blood on the floor and prayed to God that it didn't belong to Shiho.

But just as they were going to walk away from the office, they spotted Mishima coming up the stairs. "And speak of the devil!" Ryuji said.

Mishima immediately panicked and ran back down the stairs. "Oh, don't run now, you little bastard!" Ryuji shouted as he chased after him, with Ann and Ren following behind him.

By the time Ann and Ren caught up, Ryuji had Mishima cornered in the hall. "L-Look, I don't know what you want, so leave me alone!" Mishima exclaimed fearfully.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mishima," Ryuji said with a roll of his eyes. "We just want to know where Kamoshida is."

"W-Why would I know where he is?" Mishima questioned with his head bowed low.

"You're his foot soldier. You do all of his dirty work," Ryuji said.

"I-It's not like I w-want to do his work," Mishima whispered. "A-All I want to do is live a quiet life…"

"We know…" Ren said softly, catching Mishima's attention. "I told you the other day; we just want to stop him. I know you don't want to tell us because of your fear of him, but something potentially bad may have happened to Suzui Shiho, and we need to find her."

"S-Suzui-san?" Mishima stammered out.

"Yeah…We just want to find her…" Ren told him.

"K-Kamoshida-sensei asked me to talk to her. Said it was about her position o-on the t-team…" Mishima stated. "B-But t-ten minutes ago, he s-summoned me to the nurse's office a-and asked me to f-find Suzui-san to c-continue the talk…"

"So he was in the nurse's office?" Ryuji asked.

"Y-yeah…" Mishima whispered.

"Thanks, Mishima. We owe you one," Ryuji said, with Ren and Ann nodding behind him.

"Y-You shouldn't be t-thanking me…" Mishima softly stammered. "I-I did a lot of bad things for Kamoshida because of my cowardice…"

"I know," Ren said with a nod. "He had you leak my personal file, am I right?"

Mishima looked down in shame but nodded.

Ren stared at him for a moment and then pushed himself away from Ann, his hand pressed against his wounded side, stood in front of Mishima, and placed a hand on top of his head, making Mishima look at him with surprise.

"In a past life, I would have been furious, but in this one, I know that it wasn't your fault. A stronger individual forced you to do it. I can't blame you for that, Mishima," Ren kindly said before he turned to Ryuji and Ann and said, "Let's go."

The three of them walked off but were stopped by Mishima's voice.

"W-Why?" Mishima's asked from behind the trio. "W-Why are you guys doing this? Sakamoto-san, Takamaki-san. You two have been at this school as long as I have. You both know Kamoshida. You both know no adult here will take you all seriously because they love him, and y-yet you two are helping Amamiya-san…"

The trio looked back as the tearful Mishima screamed, "Don't you know what he could do to you? And Amamiya-san, you're a new student here and already experienced how cruel h-he can be. So why stick your necks out for us? For people, you don't even know?!" Mishima screamed.

The three were silent for a moment before Ren said, "I can't sit around and let people get hurt if I can stop it. Blame the hero complex in me. I just can't allow innocent people to wallow in misery."

"Yeah, his attitude rubbed off on us in a way," Ryuji said with a grin. "Kamoshida is cruel d-bag and preys on the weak. It's time someone stands up to him."

"And who better to stand up to him than the very people he has hurt and humiliated?" Ann finished.

"So don't sweat it. First, we will find Shiho, and then we will end Kamoshida's reign of terror against everyone here. We promise," Ren told him with a thumbs up before the three walked off, leaving the awed Mishima behind.

"Dude, we totally sounded like heroes back there," Ryuji whispered.

"Wasn't my intention but hell, we sure did," Ren replied. "But we must find Shiho and soon. I don't want my vision to come true."

Just then, Morgana turned the corner, slightly limping, and said, "Guys…"

"Morgana?" The three said in unison. Morgana fell to his side, and Ann quickly rushed to grab him and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I got thrown to the wall by that Kamoshida guy, but I'm okay…" Morgana said. "He was about to have Shiho do something unsavory to him, but I stopped him…I stopped it…"

"Oh my god, thank you so much, Morgana," Ann said with relief as she hugged Morgana, who squeaked in alarm but began to wiggle in her grasp.

"S-Stop. There is still more!" Morgana gasped out, causing Ann to stop.

"She was hiding in the bathroom, and she started to talk real scary-like. She was saying stuff like how she's sick of this life and wanted to find peace, and then she left," Morgana said.

The three paled, and it was then they heard a voice shout, "Look! Someone is on the roof!"

"Ann!" Ren shouted in alarm as Ann quickly ran away from the persona users. Ren turned to Ryuji and said, "I'll only slow you down. Do everything you can to stop Shiho from jumping!"

Ryuji nodded and followed after Ann, leaving Ren alone to watch Ryuji runoff.

Once Ryuji was gone, Ren held his side as he began to walk in the direction of the nurse's room with anger burning in his eyes.


	8. The Showdown! A New Face Appears!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji Sakamoto: Sup! I'm here to end the Triggering Saga. This one will have THE suicide attempt in it. Reader Discretion is advised.

**[Opening Scene – Shujin Academy's Roof (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Despair: Maya's Theme from Persona 3: FES]**

Shiho found herself standing on the edge of the roof of Shujin Academy, the wind blowing her hair with her eyes closed as raindrops fell down her body.

She could hear the faint screams and concerns from her schoolmates below, but that did not matter.

Nothing did anymore.

**"This is it…This is the beginning of the end…"** The voice whispered in her mind, a peaceful tone in its voice. **"Just one leap and our descent into peace will begin…"**

"Yes," Shiho whispered, her tone soft and broken. "Peace…That is all I want…"

Just then, the door to the roof was blasted open, and Shiho heard the voice of the girl she did not want here. "Don't do it, Shiho!" Ann screamed out.

Why did God despise her so?

Shiho opened her eyes and turned around carefully to stare at Ann, a sad smile on her face. "Ann…" Shiho murmured. "You shouldn't be here."

"Well, I am Shiho," Ann told her as she slowly began to advance.

"Don't come any closer!" Shiho demanded, causing Ann to stop her advancement. "I'll d-do it. I'll jump if you come any closer to me!"

"But why Shiho?" Ann asked with a heartbreaking tone that made Shiho's heart clench.

"I just want it to stop…" Shiho brokenly whispered. "All I wanted was to go to a perfect college and play volleyball with my best friend…I never wanted to do anything this…"

Shiho could feel tears falling from her eyes as she watched tears fall from Ann's eyes as well. "I…Want it to stop…And you won't stop me from achieving the peace that I've longed for…Not when I'm so close to obtaining it," Shiho told her.

"Achieving Peace…" Ann repeated with a little anger in her voice. "Is that what you think you're doing by killing yourself?"

"What about your parents? What about Ryuji, Ren, and everyone else that cares for you? What about me? Do you think your death will bring us peace?" Ann asked her with pain in her voice.

Shiho remained silent as she looked to the ground.

Ann took a slow step and held out her hand, and said with a pleading tone, "We love you, Shiho, and we don't want to lose you. Just step down, and we can get through this together. Don't do this, please…"

Shiho felt her heartbreaking at Ann's desperate plea but let out a soft sigh.

"My parents only cared about what I could do for them and never what I wanted," Shiho began.

She heard Ann take a sharp gasp.

"And I never had any friends. I was always alone, no matter where I went. I sincerely thought that I would be alone for the rest of my life, and even a few times, that dark voice in my mind would push me to end it all. Until the day I met you," Shiho explained softly.

Shiho felt her tears redouble as she gave Ann the brightest smile she could muster. "I remember seeing you for the first time in art class and thought, "Wow…How can someone so beautiful make such a terrible painting?""

Ann gasped and let out a watery laugh and murmured, "You ass, you can't make me laugh in this situation."

"I wasn't trying to make you laugh," Shiho said with a tender laugh. "But when I heard you laugh that day, it was like a beacon of light shined through the darkness that I always had in me. I promised from then on out that I would defend you from anyone that would hurt you and that I would always stay by your side."

"Shiho…" Ann whimpered as she clenched her chest.

Despite the rain that fell on them and despite the black streaks on Ann's face from her makeup, Ann was the most beautiful girl in the world in Shiho's eyes.

She wished that she could wipe away Ann's tears.

"When he first came to this school, Kamoshida-sensei abused us, but he had two students in particular that he hurt the most…Yuuki-san was one of them. Kamoshida-sensei saw him as weak and pathetic and would hurt him every single day until he became broken. And the second was me…." Shiho admitted.

She could see a tragic look appear on Ann's face. "From the start?" Ann asked her.

"From the very start," Shiho softly confirmed. "When he first began his sexual advances, I stopped him each time. Even when he dangled my spot on the Volleyball team, I refused…"

Shiho took a deep breath.

"But then he went after you. The person that saved me and I couldn't let him do it…" Shiho continued shamefully. "I let him touch me and kiss me and hit me anytime he needed to keep you away from his disgusting hands."

Shiho took a deep breath as she looked at Ann's heartbroken, tearful face. "I did everything he asked because I love you, Ann. I loved you from the second I saw you and only fell deeper when I heard you laugh. I love you more than I ever could myself. But today I-I failed to uphold my promise to protect you…"

"Oh, Shiho," Ann whispered. "You could never fail me. Not in this or any lifetime," Ann told her firmly as she took another step, which caused Shiho to take a small step back, putting her precariously on the edge of the roof.

"H-He forced me Ann…He forced me to try and have sex with him, and I told him that I would never do that with him. I have debased myself to the rawest level already, and he wanted to take the one thing I _needed_ to keep for the one I devote myself to for the rest of my life."

"I told him I didn't care about the Volleyball team. But then he brought up you and Ren-kun. He strongly implied that he was the reason Ren-kun was attacked, and If I didn't have sex with him, Kamoshida would get Amamiya-kun killed, and he would go after you…"

"You didn't…" Ann whispered.

"I didn't…The combination of the fire alarm and that cat startled him, and I ran off. Because of me, he's going to go after you. He's going to Kill Ren-kun. I failed to protect you both, and it's all my fault."

Despite the calm tone in her voice, the tears were still flowing from her eyes. "I sentenced you both to hell…And we both know that this damn school has and will continue to throw us all under the bus for the famed Olympic medalist…" Shiho warned, her voice near hysteric.

"We're expendable as long as he can bring honor to this place, and I can't take it anymore. I can't take the guilt of damming you both, yet I can't keep putting myself through this eternal hell. I just want peace…" Shiho looked back and murmured, "And I found that peace."

"I see…" Ann murmured. "And there's nothing I can say or do then to stop you?"

Shiho remained silent.

Ann lowered her head and said, "Then if you want to go through with it, I won't stand in your way…But I want you to know that once you fall, I will be falling close behind!"

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shujin Academy (Nurse's Office)  
Theme of Despair: Maya's Theme from Persona 3: FES]**

Ren fell to a knee as the pain in his side flared up. He had finally made it to the nurse's office, where he had a feeling Kamoshida would be, and yet it was empty.

He had just missed the bastard.

"Damn it!" Ren yelled as he slammed his fist against the ground.

"Y-You need to take it easy," Morgana said as Ren panted heavily, his eyes solely focused on the path leading him to the nurse's office. "I know you're upset, but cooler heads must prevail," Morgana continued.

"I have a cool head about this," Ren softly said as he pushed himself to his feet only to take another step and buckled, falling to the ground.

"Ren!" Morgana screamed as he limped into Ren's view. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," Ren panted out, his face drenched with sweat as he leaned up and placed his back against the wall and panted out.

"You need to stop being so bull-headed, Ren!" Morgana yelled as Ren shut his eyes.

"Kamoshida…He needs to pay, and I'm going to make him," Ren panted out.

"That's great, and all but you're only a student, and he is a teacher with a lot of power," Morgana said to him. "I've shadowed Shiho-san for a while, and I've heard the many rumors about him. If you confront him in this way, things may become worse."

"No matter…No one should have the power he wields, Morgana," Ren countered. "He hurt Ryuji, nearly forced Shiho for sex and has been pressuring Ann for ages. Not to mention sending those guys to stab me. He's out of control…"

"But doing it this way will complicate things. There is a simpler way to stop him," Morgana said, causing Ren to look at him.

"A simpler way?" Ren questioned.

"Yes…The castle," Morgana explained. "That castle is how Kamoshida views this school. Despite Kamoshinda being unaware of what happens in there, it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart."

"If the castle disappears, then...It would affect the real Kamoshida," Ren said.

"Perfect-o!" Morgana exclaimed happily. "A palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires. So if that castle in no more than he becomes an honest man!"

Ren narrowed his eyes in thought and said, "So erasing a Palace is essentially forcing a change of heart in its owner…It sounds risky."

"It is," Morgana responded with a serious tone. "Even though his warped desires are gone, the crimes still happened. He will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, which can lead him to confess them himself or…"

"Or?" Ren drawled out.

"If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well, but desires are what we all need to survive. Like eating or sleeping or falling in love. That sort of stuff. If that is gone, then he would be nothing short of a zombie, just waiting to die," Morgana answered.

Ren closed his eyes as he whispered, "Apathy Syndrome…."

"Apathy Syndrome?" Morgana questioned.

Ren shut his eyes as he heard the sorrowful scream of his mother enter his mind.

* * *

**[Flashback Scene: Amamiya Residence (Nighttime – Rainy)  
Theme of Her: Brand New Days -The Beginning- from Persona 3: FES]**

_"That can't be true!"_

_An eight-year-old Ren was startled awake by his mother's scream._

_He looked around his room sleepily and rubbed his eyes. He had just had a weird dream about his aunty when the scream of his mother woke him up._

_What in the world was going on?_

_Carefully, Ren crawled out of bed, left his room, walked down the stairs until he reached the bottom step, and peered into the doorway that led to the living room._

_As he did, he noticed that there his mother, a middle-aged woman with red eyes and long auburn hair, was on her knees, in front of a girl with short, blonde hair and dark blue eyes._

_The blonde girl wore the same Gekkoukan High School uniform that his aunt wore._

_Did this girl go to the school as her?_

_"I apologize, Minako-san," The blonde girl said, her voice mechanical and empty sounding to Ren. "But it is true. Kotone Shiomi has passed away due to the Apathy S-Syndrome."_

_Ren saw a flicker of sadness appear in the girl's dark blue eyes before emptiness returned._

_It was then her words sank in._

_"Shiomi-nee?" Ren gasped out, his voice trembling._

_He watched as his mother's tearful red eyes looked at him, along with the blonde girl's eyes. He watched as something flickered in her eyes again as his mother tearfully said, "Ren. Honey, go upstairs."_

_"S-She can't be gone!" Ren cried out. "She was supposed to visit for my birthday! She can't be gone! Tell me she's lying!"_

_"I apologize," The blonde girl whispered as she lowered her head._

_Ren fell to his knees as tears streamed down his anguished face._

* * *

**[Present Scene: Shujin Academy's Nurse's Office (Morning – Rainy)  
Theme of Her: Brand New Days -The Beginning- from Persona 3: FES]**

_"Shiomi-nee!"_ Ren's child voice screamed in his head before opening his eyes to see Morgana's confused expression.

"Ren. What is Apathy Syndrome?" Morgana asked again.

"A few years ago at Tatsumi Port Island, there was this condition that was going on called Apathy Syndrome…" Ren began, his voice distant. "It was a case where dozens of people would collapse in a heap where ever they happen to be and become unable to move, feed or care for themselves. It was as if all of their desire to live was gone."

Ren shook his head to clear his mind from the weight of those words and said, "S-So if we do it, there is a chance that will happen?"

"There is a possibility," Morgana confirmed, albeit hesitantly. "But if that is the case, isn't that worth the risk?"

Ren paused.

"I mean, look at what he's willing to do to everyone to keep this power he has…" Morgana said. "If we don't stop him, who knows what more he could do."

If Morgana had asked them this question a year ago, Ren would have refused.

No one should suffer a death like that.

But after everything that Kamoshida had done, if anyone had earned a death like that, it would be him.

"You're right…" Ren bitterly whispered. "He hurt so many people here…If this is the only way to stop him, then we will."

Morgana opened his mouth to speak, but then Mishima's voice rang out with "Amamiya-san! Do you need help?"

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shujin Academy's Roof (Morning - Rainy)  
Theme of Heartache: Encounter from Persona 5]**

"Ann!" Shiho gasped in horror at Ann's words. "Surely you don't mean that!"

"More than you know…" Ann softly replied.

"I don't understand," Shiho told her. "Why would you follow me? I don't get it."

"All this time, you tried to protect me," Ann told her. "But in reality, I led you to this destination…"

Shiho was confused.

What did she mean by that?

She didn't have to wait long because Ann began to speak. "Kamoshida approached me one day. He knew you were my best friend and told me that he would kick you off the team, but I told him I would do anything to keep you on. Anything…"

_' N-No…Please don't say it,'_ Shiho thought with anguish as she watched shame appear on Ann's face.

Her worse fear was realized when Ann continued with, "It started slowly enough, kissing here and there, letting him touch me from time to time. But recently, Kamoshida wanted to have sex with me. I foolishly thought it was a coincidence that anytime I weaseled out of it; you would be bruised up you a day later."

Ann then laughed bitterly.

"I'm supposed to be your friend and protect you from him, but instead, you kept getting hurt because I wouldn't have sex with him, and now the note he gave me makes sense…Kamoshida wasn't threatening your spot on the team in that note…He was telling me he was going to do this to you. That you were going to pay the price of my cowardice…"

"Oh, Ann…." Shiho whispered.

"I put you in direct danger of that monster, and now, I'll lose the one person who made my life worth living. You love me, huh? Well, guess what, I love you too!" Ann yelled. "And I can't live in a world without you in it and I refuse to do so. There is no Takamaki without Suzui, so if you fall, I fall too!"

Shiho was in turmoil.

Her best friend had put her body on the line for her to have her be on the team. But in doing that, Ann had inadvertently put her on the rooftop today, but she couldn't allow Ann to blame herself for that.

She wouldn't.

Shiho looked at Ann before she looked out at the crowd of students on the ground below.

**"Do it…"** The voice whispered in her mind. **"This is your chance…No more physical or sexual abuse from Kamoshida…No more mental abuse from your parents…We can be free from all of this. Do not let her flowery words sway your heart from eternal peace…"**

Shiho remained silent as she turned back to see Ann crying heavily and thought, _'I can't do this….'_

**"So you are willing to keep going through this agony that is your life for her? Do you understand what you face if you back away now? This is your one chance at freedom. Seize it now before it forever escapes your grasp,"** The voice whispered urgently.

_' I know…This is the only way…But I can't leave her like this…' Shiho replied. 'I'm truly pathetic to keep choosing her over what I desire, but I can't help it…She helps me feel something other than this dread,'_ Shiho softly replied as she summoned up all the strength she had in her body and stepped back onto the roof.

**[Theme of Shadow Attack: Desire from Persona 5]**

But something then a cold grip wrapped around her neck and upper body.

It was then that the world darkened around her.

Shiho slowly turned her head to see herself, her eerie glowing yellow eyes and a dark smile on her face. **"Since you will not take that step, then I suppose I shall do it for us because it's time for us to be selfish,"** her duplicate stated before the world snapped back to normal.

It was then Shiho felt her body jerk backward violently, which caused her to scream as she felt her right foot leave the roof. "Shiho!" Ann screamed in horror as she ran towards Shiho, who began to fall from the building's top.

'This is it…' Shiho thought as her body slowly began to shift downward in the air, her eyes gazing at the bright blue sky above her. She began to look down to see Ann running towards the edge of the roof.

She suddenly saw Ann leap off the roof with her arms reaching out towards her legs. Time seemed to move in slow motion for her as Ann's hands wrapped around her ankles, and with a hard tug, Shiho felt herself being pulled sharply backward until her back hit the wall and she was dangling upside down.

"I got you, Shiho! Just hang on!" She heard Ann shout.

* * *

Ryuji had just reached the roof when he saw Shiho explain leap backward from off the edge with Ann quickly running after her and managing to catch her legs.

But now Ann was skidding off of the roof and no doubt was losing grip on Shiho.

With all the speed he could muster, Ryuji dashed across the roof and skidded to a stop at her feet, and shouted, "Hang on, Ann, I got ya!"

"Ryuji?!" Ann said with an alarmed tone.

"Who else would it be? Just hang on to Shiho as hard as you can," Ryuji said as he began to pull her body backward, but it was a lot harder than he had imagined it to be. For two light girls, they sure were heavy.

Just then, another figure stepped beside him and said, "Let me help."

Ryuji turned his head to see a girl with chin-length curly light auburn hair and brown eyes looking at him. "The more, the merrier, right? Just go up there to help Shiho up. I'll help by pulling Ann here," Ryuji said.

The girl nodded and ran up to the edge of the roof and knelt to grab one of Shiho's legs, causing Ann to look at her in alarm.

"I'm here to help," before she began to pull one of Shiho's legs with both hands, prompting Ann to let go of that leg and focus on pulling up the other one, and together, the three teens managed to get Shiho back on the roof.

The minute they were pulled up, Shiho immediately embraced Ann and began to sob into her chest as hard as possible, with Ann returning the embrace just as hard as she too wept.

**[Theme of Success: Tranquility from Persona 3]**

"Whew!" Ryuji said as he plopped down to the ground and panted out, "That was a close one!"

The mysterious girl sat beside Ryuji and said, "I agree…That was not very pleasant."

"Thanks for the assist, but how did you get up here so quickly? Hell, how did you know what was going on?" Ryuji asked.

The girl merely smiled and explained, "I was quite lucky to have been tending to my plants before Suzui-san ran up here…I hid because we are not supposed to be up here but little did I know, things were about to take such a tragic turn."

The girl then sighed and finished with, "Thank goodness we were able to stop that. But in hearing what that scoundrel Kamoshida has done, we cannot sit aside and let nothing be done."

"Yeah, that asshole is going to get what's coming to him…Speaking of which, are you able to watch over them?" Ryuji asked.

"With the best of my abilities," the girl replied. "But why leave them?"

"Our other friend Ren is downstairs, and I want to let him know that we saved Shiho," Ryuji replied.

At the mention of Ren's name, Shiho pulled away from Ann and murmured, "Ren-kun? He's here?"

"Against his better judgment," Ryuji wryly said. "He seemed pretty pissed off about everything, and we need to let him know things are okay now…Well, as okay as they are going to be for now."

"Y-Yeah, that's right, he was the one worried about you just as much as me and Ryuji," Ann said.

"O-Okay…Let's go find him," Shiho said.

"What about you, curly hair? Want to join us?" Ryuji asked.

"I don't think I've had enough excitement for today…" The girl replied before she said, "I think I shall go with you and see this through."

"Great, then let's go!" Ryuji said. "Hopefully, Ren-Ren will be okay…"

* * *

**[Present Scene: Shujin Academy's Nurse's Office (Morning – Rainy)  
Theme of Kindness: Theater from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth]**

"Mishima?" Ren questioned.

He was sure that the boy would have remained in the corner where they had left him or runoff. Why did he come here?

"I see…" Ren told him gently.

"I-I wanted to make sure you were okay," Mishima said as he looked at his feet. "I-I'm sorry. I followed you."

Ren watched as Mishima's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "You're bleeding!"

Ren looked down at his side and sat blood soaking through his shirt.

"S-Stay here, I'll help you!" Mishima said as he ran into the nurse's office, grabbed a few supplies, and then ran out to Ren. Ren watched as Mishima knelt in front of him and said, "L-Lift your shirt."

Ren did as followed, and Mishima let out a soft gasp. "Amamiya-san….This wound looks really bad."

"It's okay…" Ren softly told him.

Mishima shook his head and began to clean the wound with a towel. "You should not be here with t-this. Y-You should be in the hospital…" Mishima said as he dabbed another towel with alcohol before wiping Ren's wound, causing him to wince in pain.

"I'll be fine. Stopping Kamoshida is all that matters," Ren said as Morgana hissed in annoyance.

Mishima looked to Morgana curiously before shaking his head and placing a medical pad on Ren's wound. "L-Lean up from the wall," Mishima stammered.

Ren nodded and leaned forward with a wince and watched as the blushing Mishima wrapped medical wrap around his torso carefully. "T-To be able to be here and stop K-Kamoshida while wounded like this…You are s-so brave…." Mishima softly admitted as he finished wrapping Ren's torso.

Ren placed his hand on top of Mishima's head, which prompted the boy to look at him. "Thank you," Ren told him with a charming smile, which caused Mishima to flush and look down.

"Well, well, well…I just can't be rid of you, can I?" a familiar voice asked. "You even have that wimp Mishima helping you."

**[Theme of Danger: Troubled from Persona 3]**

Ren looked up to see Kamoshida walking down the hall with a smirk on his face and band-aids in several areas on his face.

"Just like a cockroach. Too stubborn to go away when he is not wanted," Kamoshida said with amusement as he slowed to a stop a few feet away from them.

"Better a roach than an assaulter," Ren proudly replied as he pushed himself up to his feet, with Mishima standing up as well with fear on his face.

Kamoshida laughed and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. All I came to do was get some more band-aids from some wounds I acquired from the training I had earlier."

"Bullshit…You assaulted Shiho you today," Ren said with narrowed eyes. "And those wounds came from her trying to fight you off!"

"He what?" Mishima asked with a stunned tone.

"He took advantage of Shiho today," Ren told Mishima softly. "It's why we went to find you to see where he was so we could help her." While Ren left out that it was Morgana who caused those wounds to Kamoshida, his words had their intended effect in shocking Mishima to his core.

"Y-You assaulted Suzui-san?" Mishima asked Kamoshida in horror. "A-And I led her right to you…"

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of," Kamoshida said, but Ren could hear the mocking tone in his voice. "You're going to believe him, Mishima? After all the training I did to get you to be a regular on the team?"

"W-What you did wasn't training! It was abuse!" Mishima responded, "A-And this isn't about that! You hurt Suzui-san. How could you do such a thing?!"

Kamoshida chuckled and walked right towards the pair. Biting back the pain, Ren pushed Mishima back and stood in front of the trembling teen and faced Kamoshida head-on and said, "No more…You will not lay another hand on anyone while I stand!"

"Big talk," Kamoshida said before he landed a right fist to Ren's side, causing the teen to double over in pain.

"Amamiya-san!" Mishima exclaimed in a panic.

"But that's all you are in the end, boy," Kamoshida said as he grabbed Ren by his hair and pulled his head up, only for Ren to spit into his face.

"Fuck you, rapist," Ren hissed out furiously. "You'll get yours."

"I won't be getting anything at all," Kamoshida said with amusement as he shoved Ren back hard, causing the teen to slam into Mishima, sending them both to the ground.

Kamoshida then walked up to Ren's downed form and stomped on Ren's wound hard, causing Ren's eyes to bug out of his head in pain.

"Ren!" Mishima screamed, but a cold smirk on Kamoshida's face stopped him dead in his tracks. "You want to come over here and help your savior, Yuuki-san?" Kamoshida asked.

Mishima looked helplessly at Ren and then back at Kamoshida, who merely smirked and said, "That's what I thought, coward."

He then looked back at Ren and said, "This could have all been so simple if you didn't show up. The minute you did, that wimp Sakamoto grew a spine, and my toys started to rebel,"

Kamoshida ground his foot against Ren's wound, causing Ren to grit his teeth at the torture.

"Hypothetically speaking, even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, what can you do?" Kamoshoda taunted. "This little bitch wouldn't dare stand up to me, and neither will those two whores or anyone in this school for that matter, so how would anyone make a statement?"

Kamoshida laughed loudly and lifted his foot only to stomp on the side again, causing Ren to grit his teeth harder, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of screaming, and instead looked at him defiantly.

"I run this school, and everyone knows it. Why do you think everyone is still outside? Do you think it was because of that fire alarm? No, all I had to say was I was looking for the culprit who was still inside, and they bought it. Hook, line, and sinker," Kamoshida told him arrogantly.

"Get off of him, you bastard!" Ryuji's voice shouted before Kamoshida was shoved off of Ren by the blond delinquent. Ren looked to see Shiho and Ann after him and that girl he met on the rooftop his second day here.

"Ren-kun, are you okay?" Shiho said as she and Ann rushed to his side.

"Shiho…You're okay…" Ren said as he looked at her.

"I'm not okay…I won't be for a while…" Shiho admitted. "But at least you're okay."

"Come on, let's get you up," Ann whispered as the pair lifted Ren to his feet. It was then Ann noticed drops of blood falling from Ren's side. "You're bleeding," Ann said to him.

"I'll be fine," Ren said weakly. He then looked at the girl and said, "We meet again."

"As I knew we would," the girl said with a small smile.

"Aww, look at that. The whole gang is here. Even you Okumura Haru. I didn't think someone of your pedigree would be hanging around with such trash," Kamoshida said.

Now known as Haru, the girl frowned at Kamoshida, but she didn't say a single word.

"You son of a bitch!" Ryuji's angry voice shouted as Ren looked to see Ryuji in front of the smirking Kamoshida. "How dare you hurt Ann and Shiho the way you did!"

"Hurt? They look wonderful to me," Kamoshida said with a slimy smirk, which looked to only piss Ryuji off even further.

"You bastard! Don't play dumb with me! You sexually assaulted Shiho! You nearly caused her to commit suicide, and you dare sit here and play stupid!" Ryuji roared.

Kamoshida looked down at Ryuji with a mocking smirk on his face and responded with, "This again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of 'self-defense'?"

"You fucking scumbag!" Ryuji shouted as he reared his hand back.

"Ryuji don't!" Ren shouted.

"What? After what this sick fuck had just done?!" Ryuji exclaimed as he looked back to Ren with his hand in the air.

"Why you're stopping him? There's a surprise, but why stop it, boy? Come on, attack me," Kamoshida goaded. "Ohhh, you can't. Hahaha, but of course you can't," Kamoshida added before pushing Ryuji off of him sharply, sending the blond staggering backward to the rest of the crew.

"Ryuji don't…He'll get his," Ren said softly to Ryuji, who was still shaking with fury.

"But still….Seeing this cocky asshole's face is burning me up!" Ryuji snarled.

"How interesting you keep saying those words Amamiya-san," Kamoshida said with a knowing smirk on his face. "That constitutes as a threat. Something this school is very against and seeing such a large amount of people here, well, I feel quite threatened."

"You should be," Shiho whimpered out, her body trembling against Ren's as she looked at the hulking figure of Kamoshida. "What you did to not only me but to all of the students here was not right! You used us, lied to us, and abused us for the sake of enjoyment!"

Ann followed up with, "From blackmailing Shiho to try and have sex with her to trying to have Ren killed, you're a monster!"

"I never held a gun to anyone's heads to get them to do what I pleased," Kamoshida said. "You all came to me, offering me whatever I wanted, and I took advantage. But I've had enough of this pleasant chat. Everyone present right now will be expelled! I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting," Kamoshida announced.

"W-What?" Shiho gasped out.

"Y-You can't do that!" Ryuji and Haru exclaimed.

"You can't decide that!" Mishima shouted.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you all say? I am an Olympic gold medalist who brought pride to Japan while you have a delinquent, a criminal, a pathetic coward, a mixed breed slut, and her whorish friend? Even if your rich friend helped, who would believe any of you?" Kamoshida asked.

"You can't get away with this, you asshole!" Ryuji shouted.

"And yet I just did!" Kamoshida yelled before going into a bout of laughter. "Your futures are mine to take. You're all expelled! Now get out of my sight, or else I'll get the local authorities to escort you all out."

"Let's just go," Ren whispered. The group nodded and walked out of the nurse's office, walking past the smug-looking Kamoshida.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Outside Shujin Academy (Afternoon – Rainy)  
Theme of Tension: Troubled from Persona 3] **

"I can't believe he's going to get us expelled…" Mishima said with a woeful tone as the group sat outside the school.

"Neither can I," Haru whispered. "It was rather foolish of me to follow you all. Curse my curiosity. But at the same time, the rumors proved true about Kamoshida, which is good, I suppose."

"But he's right. He runs the school," Shiho whispered. "No one is going to believe us, and even if we go to the police, I bet it'll get swept underneath the rug…"

"It won't," Ren said softly. "I promise you guys that we'll be fine."

Ryuji and Ann looked to Ren, who had a smirk on his face.

"He'll get his soon enough. We just have to have faith," Ren said.

And once he was fully healed, his new plan will form into action.


	9. Inferno

**[Opening Scene – Okumura Residence (Nighttime)  
(Theme of Sadness: Persona from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth)**

Ann didn't know how long she had been staring at the face of her sleeping friend, but she knew it had been a long time. Shiho was so drained from the day's events that the minute her head hit the bed, she was out like a light while Ann was unable to sleep.

All she could do was replay everything in her head. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Shiho's tearful face, standing on the edge of the roof.

All she could hear were her words, and the more Ann saw it, the angrier she became.

She had done this to Shiho.

_"Snap out of it!"_ Ryuji's voice shouted in her mind. _"None of this is your fault, Ann! Kamoshida is the asshole here using students as his personal playthings. We are supposed to look up to them and protect them. He abused that trust and caused all of this hell for everyone. He's the asshole here. Not you."_

_'I know Ryuji…'_ Ann thought softly, the image of his angered yet compassionate eyes piercing through her mind. _'But it's still my fault…'_

Ann called Shiho her best friend, and yet, she sent her down the road of ruin. Ann wanted to cry but the burning rage she felt in her soul overwhelmed her feelings of sadness.

It was then she heard her phone chime.

She reached down into her pocket and withdrew her cell, and saw the strange red app pulsating on it.

This app could allow her to go to that other world, but why was it pulsating this red energy?

**"The palace…"** A voice whispered in her mind. **"It holds his power…if it falls…he dies…"**

"If it falls…he dies…" Ann repeated softly as the glow of the app began to brighten.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Unknown (?)  
Theme of Unknown: The Voice of Someone Calls from Persona 3]**

Ann found herself in a dark void.

She looked around in confusion until she found herself face-to-face with herself, with those glowing eerie eyes that the other Kamoshida had.

**"Yes…He has done far too much to keep breathing…He hurt the one we treasure, and thus we shall take what he holds precious,"** Her doppelgänger said.

"But to kill him…does he truly…" Ann paused as her mind flashed to Shiho's heartbreakingly sad smile as she stood on the edge of the roof, and the rage began to build once more until Ann felt something switch in her.

It was a cold feeling that washed within her as she let out a slow laugh. "You're right…" Ann softly said as she looked at her hand. "Kamoshida has done every unforgivable sin to my Shiho…To the girl that made my life worth something…He used and violated us time and again, using our love for one another to fuel his sick fantasies. I shouldn't feel guilty about his death…"

Ann then closed her fist hard enough for blood to sweep through her fingers and said, "I should be the one to cause it…"

Flames danced around Ann's body as she stared at her doppelgänger, who had a smirk on her face. **"Do you hear it, Takamaki Ann? Do you hear the raging heat of the inferno in your heart?"** Her copy softly questioned, but there was an undercurrent of rage in her voice. **"Because I do. I've been waiting for so long for you to wake up and take action because who is going to avenge Shiho if you don't?"**

"Everything that he has done or said has added more fuel to his funeral pyre…I will make him pay with his life for what he did to her!" Ann furiously shouted.

Ann felt her head began to pound in pain with those harsh words as she fell to her knees, embers slowly began to rise around her body.

**"Good…"** Her doppelgänger murmured as embers began to swirl around the pair. **"It may have taken far too long for this to happen. But it is time..."**

**(Theme of Awakening: Awakening from Persona 5)**

The flames began to overtake the doppelgänger, who smirked as Ann fell to her knees and clutched at her head, screams of pain leaving her lips. **"Sparing him from the flames of retribution was never the option for you. Neither was forgiving him. Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within..."**

Ann opened her eyes at gazed at her doppelgänger, who now stood in a raging inferno and felt herself nod, the flames flying into her face, but while there was a warmth to the fire, against her skin, it felt more like a hand caressing her face than an inferno.

**"I am thou, thou art I... We can finally forge a contract. Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand?"** The doppelgänger asked.

"I understand, Carmen!" Ann screamed, despite the pain in her head.

**"Then I'll gladly lend you my strength to reduce his castle to ashes,"** her voice purred as the flames died away from her face to reveal a red mask with cat ears on top of it.

Ann gripped the mask with a stern glare then ripped off with a scream, causing a large explosion of fire to explode from her body.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Okumura Residence (Nighttime)  
Theme of Unknowing Danger: Restlessness from Persona 5]**

"You should be at the hospital. Not planning to go back there."

Ren looked up at the scowling Ryuji and Morgana and let out a sigh. The group was currently at Haru's residence in her living room.

Haru was presently in the kitchen brewing some tea while Shiho and Ann were sleeping in a spare bedroom, leaving the three Persona users to talk in the living room alone.

Morgana had explained all that he told Ren to the group, and while Ryuji and Ann were slightly apprehensive, they both knew that Kamoshida needed to be stopped at all costs, even if it cost him his life.

He had done so much to hurt so many people that he had to be stopped, but when Ren suggested they go tonight, Ryuji and Morgana immediately objected.

"I know I need to go to the hospital, but we need to make a move now," Ren said with a frown. "The sooner we do, the sooner we can stop Kamoshida from expelling us and keeping me out of jail."

Ryuji crossed his arms and muttered, "Morgana and I can handle the place just fine without you. You need to go."

"I can't," Ren replied. "You two can't do this alone. I am going with you, and that is final."

"Stubborn ass," Ryuji muttered. "You can barely walk, let alone fight those freaky things."

"Then I'll stay more in the back and provide support and let you two take the lead, but you aren't doing this alone," Ren compromised.

"Hmmm, alright," Morgana and Ryuji said in unison but with Morgana adding, "Ryuji is right; you are very stubborn."

"Damn right," Ren said with a smirk.

"So…Do you guys think we should tell Haru and Shiho about the other place?" Ryuji asked them.

"I don't think so. They don't have the gift, and they could tell someone," Morgana said. "Besides, we don't want to put them in any unnecessary danger."

"Fair but counterpoint, Ann. She knows about the place, and she has the app like Ren, and I do. She can access it at any point, and Ann may or may not have the gift. Shiho is an awesome girl, and Haru is shaping up to be one too. I think we can trust them," Ryuji said, vouching for the two girls.

"Well…At the end of the day, it's up to Ren. What do you think?" Morgana asked.

"My mind is telling me, no, but my gut is telling me we should," Ren answered. "Haru didn't have to show herself to help you guys out with Shiho, and she damn sure wouldn't be in this mess if she stayed hidden on the roof. She's probably stressed about being expelled, and God knows what her parents will do, so she needs to know that we can fix this. "

Ren's shoulders dropped as a bitter frown appeared on his face. " And as for Shiho. After everything she's been through, she deserves to know that we can bring her justice. Hell, not just her. But everyone he has used, abused, and hurt during Kamoshida's tenure here. They all deserve justice…"

"Alright…If you're sure, then I'll back you up," Morgana said with a weak, albeit supportive smile. Ren leaned forward and petted Morgana, who gave a mix of a whine and a purr at the gentle motion and smiled.

"Thanks for trusting me," Ren told him.

"Badical. So when do we tell them?" Ryuji asked.

"Tomorrow. I'm beaten down from all the action," Ren said softly.

"The tea is ready," the kind voice of Haru's announced as she walked into the room with the tea set on the table in front of them.

"Thanks, Haru-san," Ren said with a smile on his face. "Again, I am so sorry you got involved in this."

"You don't have to apologize, Ren-san," Haru said as she poured the tea into their teacups. "After overhearing everything Shiho and Ann spoke about, I had a feeling that things were going to go off the rails. I just didn't expect it would be so crazy."

"Neither did we," Ren admitted. "I was expecting to go into school and remain faceless, not facing down a corrupt rapist teacher who would arrange my stabbing, but here we are."

"That sounds insane now," Haru joked with a slight giggle. "Well, since I am involved, I am willing to help any way I can."

"Thanks, but hopefully, we'll be able to handle this without you getting too involved," Ryuji said before he groaned out and added, "But knowing our luck, we will."

"Hence why I offered my assistance," Haru teasingly replied. "But what is the plan now?"

"Any idea when this board meeting is supposed to take place?" Ren asked.

"No idea," Ryuji and Haru said in unison.

"Well shit," Ren grumbled. "Well, we'll start planning tomorrow. I'm pretty beat."

"Same here," Ryuji added.

"If you want, you guys can stay the night here," Haru offered as she petted Morgana, who seemed to melt at her touch and began to purr. "My father is away on a business trip for a few weeks, so I'm just alone here in this place."

Ren was initially going to refuse, but there was this pleading look in Haru's eyes as she looked at him, which made him nod in agreement. "I have to check with my guardian, but sure, why not?" Ren answered.

"I have to call my mom as well, but I think she'll be okay with it as well," Ryuji said.

Haru beamed and said, "Great! I'll have the maids get the rooms made up for you two."

Haru picked up the sleepy Morgana and said, "This little guy can stay too. I'll have a little area for him as well. Excuse me."

Haru then walked off, leaving Ryuji and Ren alone.

"Wow, she's nice. We just met today, and she's letting us stay at her place. Which is huge…" Ryuji said to Ren.

"Kamoshida did mention she was rich, but from the damn mansion she lives, her family could buy me five times over," Ren said. "But…I don't think Haru likes any of this. Being rich, I mean…"

"How do you figure?" Ryuji asked.

"Gut feeling," Ren replied as he crossed his arms, his eyes closing.

"You got a lot of those. They ever steer you wrong?" Ryuji asked.

"So far? Nope, it's never failed me, so I will continue to trust it until it does," Ren said with a grin.

"Well fuck, I'll drink to that," Ryuji said as he lifted his teacup, which caused Ren to share his smile and clink his teacup with his. Before they could drink it, a large amount of pressure slammed into their bodies along with a wave of heat, causing them to drop their teacups on the table, spilling the liquid within them.

"What the fuck was that?!" Ryuji asked in alarm.

"I have no idea," Ren asked. "But this kind of feels familiar…It kind of feels like when you become a persona user…"

The two stared at each other for a moment before Haru and Morgana came to the room, with the former asking, "Did you guys feel that?"

"You feel it too?" Ryuji asked.

"Yeah, but what is it that I am feeling?" Haru asked.

"No idea…Maybe we should check on Ann and Shiho," Ren suggested, but seconds later, Ann walked out into the open with a cold, emotionless expression on her face while the pressure, and the heat, vanished.

"Ann? You alright?" Ryuji asked.

"I'm better than alright…" Ann said, a cold grin appearing on her face. "Say…I have to run to the school. I left an item there."

"That doesn't sound ominous at all," Morgana quipped to Ren and Ryuji, who nodded in agreement.

"Need any of us to come with you?" Haru asked with concern, but Ann shook her head.

"No…Not at all," Ann replied, her voice emotionless. "But thanks."

Ann walked past them to the front door and opened it before she paused and said, "Watch after Shiho." And with that, she shut the door behind her just before the door fully closed; Ren saw a black blur shoot through the crack.

_'Good Job Morgana…'_ Ren thought.

Haru and Ryuji exchanged a glance before they looked at the door, with Ryuji saying, "I…Don't think I like that look she had on her face. We should follow her."

"Agreed," Ren said.

"Wait, but what about Shiho? We can't just leave her here after the day she's had," Haru said with a worried expression.

"I know…Haru-san, why don't you stay here with her?" Ren asked. "This way, she can get her rest and won't be worried when she wakes up to see Ann g-"

"Ann's gone!" Shiho's voice shouted, causing the three teens to look at her fearful and worried face.

"-one…" Ren finished lamely.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Shibuya (Nighttime)  
Theme of Unknowing Danger: Restlessness from Persona 5]**

"Lady Ann! What are you plan to do?!" Morgana yelled as he ran beside Ann down the street, but Ann didn't reply.

All she did was keep her gaze forward, which made Morgana growl in annoyance. "Come on, Lady Ann, speak to me!" Morgana exclaimed.

Ann still didn't respond.

Frustration reaching his max, Morgana sped past Ann and stood in front of her, causing her to stop.

"You're in my way," Ann said with a dangerous edge to her eerily calm voice.

"I'm not moving until you tell me what you plan to do!" Morgana exclaimed. "It's obvious you've awakened to your Persona. I can see it in your eyes, but there is this anger in it that I've never seen. What do you plan to do?!"

Ann's look was downright murderous as she glared down at him, but he didn't back down. Finally, for what seemed like a lifetime, Ann muttered, "The only way to kill Kamoshida is to destroy that palace, right? So I'm going to destroy it."

"That's all well and good, but can you at least let us know?" Morgana asked with a frown. "Ryuji, Ren, and I talked about it, and we were going to do exactly that, but it may not kill Kamoshida, however."

He watched as Ann's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Morgana thought she was going to start walking again, but when he looked back, he noticed eight teens dressed in Shujin attire in the distance and began to feel nervous.

"Ann!" Ryuji's voice yelled from behind her. Ann turned her head to see Ryuji, Haru, Ren, and Shiho coming up from behind and scowled.

But Morgana noticed that the minute the others showed up, the Shujin students' group began to advance to them.

Things were about to go down…

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shibuya (Nighttime)  
Theme of Unknowing Danger: Restlessness from Persona 5]**

"What are you guys doing here?" Ann said with narrowed eyes as the group skidded to a stop behind her.

"We came after you," Ryuji said with a frown. "I don't know what's going in that cute head of yours, but how about not doing that and coming back to Haru's place."

Ann heard the compliment, and for a moment, a blush crossed her face, but then a flash of Kamoshida's smirking face stopped that feeling, leaving the only fury in her veins. "Sorry," she said softly. "I have something that needs to be done."

"But what is that something?" Shiho asked fearfully. "Please tell us, Ann."

Ann felt a brief burst of sadness hit her, but once again, anger replaced it. "I can't Shiho. This is something I need to do alone."

"Don't try to go all "Lone Gunman" on us, Ann," Ryuji said with a stare. "I get that you're pissed about what happened. We are too. But whatever you're planning, I have a feeling that you are going to get over your head."

"G-Guys, those people seem to be heading our way," Shiho's voice said as the group began to place white medical masks over their faces, stalking their way towards the group.

"I have the ability to stop him, so I'm going to do it," Ann argued as she glared at Ren.

"You have the ability?" Ren asked in surprise. "So I was right after all. The pressure felt just like when Ryuji awakened his…That's all the more reason to wait and let cooler heads prevail."

"Um, guys?" Haru murmured, also trying to get the trio's attention, the group now closer than before.

"I don't have time to have a cooler head, Ren!" Ann shouted. "What he did to Shiho was unforgivable!"

"We know just. If you just calm your ass and let us explain the plan, we can do this together!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Guys!" Morgana screamed, which prompted the trio to look at the cat.

"What?!" The three yelled at Morgana, who seemingly shrunk in surprise.

"D-Did they just speak to the cat?" Shiho asked Haru, who looked just as confused as her.

Morgana pointed to the group that was now in front of them. "Them," he answered dryly.

"Oh great," Ryuji muttered as he eyed the group. "More trouble."

One of the Shujin students, a large teenager with dyed orange hair styled in a pompadour, stepped forward and said, "Yo, sorry about this, but Kamoshida sent us to give his re-"

The student couldn't even get anything out due to Ann's knee smashing into his groin before her fist crashed into his face, which sent him down to the ground. "I don't have time for this," Ann glowered dangerously to the group. "So either fight us, or walk away!"

The teens looked down at the sizeable orange-haired teen on the ground and quickly picked him up and bowed to the group before quickly retreating.

"Wow, Ann-chan, that was amazing," Shiho said with surprise.

**(Theme of Sadness: Persona from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth)**

Ann glanced back at Shiho then turned back around. "Go back, all of you. This mission is for me alone," she told the group as she began to walk off again, but to her surprise, Shiho was the one that stopped her.

"Shiho…" Ann muttered softly.

"No more storming off, Ann," Shiho said firmly. "Stop and tell us what you plan to do."

Ann took a low, deep breath and said, "Shiho, step aside."

"I will not," Shiho replied, her voice still firm. "Not until you tell us what in the world is going on with you."

Ann narrowed her eyes before she shut them entirely and said, "You wouldn't understand…"

"Today has been a…rough day," Shiho began.

"Understatement of the fucking century," Ann heard Ryuji murmur to Haru, Ren, and Morgana, who all nodded in agreement.

"If anyone is going to understand, it's going to be me," Shiho continued. "So just calm down and tell us what's wrong. We're willing to listen, and he-"

"Stop it," Ann whispered. "You can't keep doing this…"

"Doing what?" Shiho asked.

"Doing this! Trying to calm me down when you're going through so much!" Ann exclaimed angrily. "I know that you care about me, and you know my feelings about you, but you can't keep pushing yourself aside to help me. You keep ending up hurt because of me!"

"Ann…" Shiho whispered.

"What happened to you was my fault. I was the reason you got sexually abused, and when I helped to try and protect you from that piece of shit, he threatened all of us with expulsion! Time and again, you have been hurt by him because of me, and I'm sick of you being in the crosshairs!"

Ann clenched her fists harder, causing droplets of blood to fall from between her fingers. "You all want to know what I want to do, right? Why I'm in such a rush to go to that place? I'll tell you. I'm going to cast him and his pathetic castle into a sea of hellfire and scatter his ashes to the wind!"

"Holy shit," Ryuji breathed out while Ren and Haru exchanged surprised looks.

"Ann! Y-You're going to murder him?" Shiho asked her with a petrified look on her face. At Ann's silence, Shiho took a step forward to her and said, "Please tell me that is not your plan. Please tell me that you aren't going to kill him."

Ann remained silent, but she looked away from the shorter girl.

"O-Oh my god…" Shiho whispered, tears falling from her eyes before she ran forward and hugged Ann hard, her body shaking as she sobbed against the taller girl's chest. "D-Don't do it. Don't kill him!"

Shiho's hands gripped the back of Ann's jacket as she sobbed harder. "Please don't do it. W-We can find another way to fix t-this. Please j-just listen to me!" Shiho cried as she broke away and placed her hands on Ann's face.

"I k-know he's h-hurt me. H-He hurt me bad but k-killing him won't h-help anything. I-I can't lose you, Ann. I-I'm not worth him dying. I'm n-not worth you g-going to jail over and g-getting the death sentence!" Shiho pleaded,

Ann's arms hung at her side for a moment before they slowly lifted and placed them on Shiho's forearms before she leaned down to kiss the shorter girl on the forehead.

"To me, you are worth everything," Ann whispered before she slung Shiho off of her, sending the shorter girl to the ground before she ran off as fast as she could.

"Ann!" The group yelled after her.

Ann ran forward and managed to see an oncoming cab and flagged it down. The cab pulled to the side, and she quickly got in and said, "To Shujin Academy."

The driver nodded and drove away, leaving Ann to lower her head as the cab passed by her friends, unable to look at their enraged, surprised, and in Shiho's case, heartbroken, expressions on their faces.

* * *

"Damn it, she's serious about this," Ryuji said with a scowl before he turned to Ren and said, "We need to catch up with her before it's too late."

Ren nodded and held his side and muttered, "But how?"

Haru smiled and said, "Allow me to remedy that issue."

Haru pulled out her phone, and with a few presses on her touchscreen, she nodded and placed her phone into her jacket pocket, and minutes later, a white limo pulled up into the street beside them.

"Let's go," Haru told them with a small smile.

"Holy…Yes ma'am," Ryuji said before he motioned to Ren, Shiho, and Morgana, who all nodded and got into the back seat of the limo, with Haru entering last.

"Do you know where she is going?" Haru asked.

"Shujin," Ren told her.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Shujin Academy (Nighttime)  
Theme of Grim Determination: Thrilling from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth]**

"Thank you," Ann said as she closed the door to the cab behind her as she stood in front of the school.

She glanced down at the alleyway in front of the school and walked into it, and once she was there, she pulled out her phone and saw that strange red and black app pulsating on her phone.

_"Hey, do you two have this app on your phones?" Ren asked suddenly._

_Ann pulled out her phones and blinked in shock when she saw the same strange app on her phone that Ren had._

_"Yeah…How did that get here?" She heard Ryuji ask with excitement in his voice._

_"This app allows us to go from our world to that other one," Ren explained with a slight grin. "The guy with the long nose made it for me and my allies."_

_"Guy with a long…" Ryuji muttered before she saw him shake his head and replied, "Forget it. But this will allow us to go back to that place?"_

_"Yeah," Ren replied._

"This was the way we took when we got into that world…" Ann said as she looked at the app. "This app will lead me there…" Ann murmured before she pressed the app on her phone

Red and Black lightning streaked across the walls of the alleyway as a feminine robotic voice said, _"Shujin Academy-Pervert-Castle."_

The lightning suddenly clashed in the middle of the alleyway before a violet-colored gateway appeared in front of her. Through the gateway, Ann could see the wavering form of Kamoshida's castle.

She gave a cold grin and walked through the portal.

Time seemed slow with each step she took from between her world and to her destination, and as she neared the image of the palace, a burst of red flame that took the shape of her Persona exploded against her body, and when they faded, a skin-tight red latex catsuit with a cleavage cutout and zippers with a clipped on tail on the back of her catsuit appeared on her body.

Another burst of flames enveloped her feet, legs, and hands. Once they faded, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots were on her body as well.

Finally, a final explosion of flame splashed against her face, and when it faded, a red panther mask appeared on her upper face, leaving her mouth uncovered.

Once the mask appeared on her face, she now found herself in front of the castle, her eyes burning a fiery red before she ran towards the large double doors.

* * *

"Thank you, Botan-san," Haru said with a polite smile and bow towards the blue-haired driver, who shot her a wink and a smile.

"No problem, Haru-chan just don't be out too late!" Botan said before she drove off, leaving the teens in front of the alleyway that leads to Shujin academy.

"Are you sure she'll be at the school?" Shiho's worried voice asked.

"Technically, she will be inside of the school," Ren began as he pointed to the alleyway with his index and middle finger.

"But that is going to be our w-" Ren paused as his eyes widened.

The alleyway across the school was pitch black, but there were faint traces of black and red bursts of lightning streaking across it.

"Shit…We're too late," Ren asked.

"Too late for what?" Shiho questioned while Morgana darted to the alleyway.

"She's already in the other world," Ryuji grumbled out with annoyance in his voice.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that, please?" Haru asked kindly with confusion on her face.

"No time to explain, follow me," Ren said as he began to run, with Ryuji following after him immediately.

"Where are we going?" Haru questioned with narrowed eyes as she and Shiho followed the pair as fast as they could.

"The asshole's palace," Ryuji said before all of them ran through the portal.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Between Worlds  
Theme of Transformation: Anime 01 from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth]**

Time seemed to slow as yellow sparks of lightning began to float from Ryuji's body while a small violet light began to pulse from Ren's chest.

As the group got closer to the palace, the yellow sparks that collided against Ryuji's body were now full-on streaks of lightning.

With each streak that appeared on his body, more of Ryuji's otherworldly uniform appeared until a final bolt of lightning tore across his face, revealing his skull mask on the upper half of his face.

The tiny violet light that sat on Ren's chest grew until his entire body was covered.

An ethereal version of Ren's suit had formed across his body before a flash of violet sparkles coated his body. When the sparkles faded, Ren was now in his otherworldly attire, but the glimmers remained in the air before shooting towards his face, forming his black and white domino mask.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Palace of Lust (?)  
Theme of Palace: King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5]**

When the group made it out on the other side of the portal, both Haru and Shiho let out a gasp at the uniform change of their two friends, only for their eyes to grow more prominent at the sight of the looming castle.

"W-What in the world?" Haru stammered out while Shiho just gaped at the sight.

"This is what we were going to tell you two about tomorrow," Ryuji said with a shrug. "However…Ann jumped the gun."

"Ryuji-san, is that you?" Haru asked.

"Yeah, it's me," Ryuji replied as he flexed his right arm and added jokingly, "Who else would own these guns?" which made Haru giggle slightly.

"H-How…W-What…W-Where…" Shiho stammered out, her body trembling at the sheer sight of what she was seeing.

"This is Kamoshida's palace," Ren said from behind her, which prompted her to turn around and blush furiously.

"R-R-Ren? Is t-that you?" Shiho asked as she eyed the masked youth.

"Yeah. Surprise?" Ren said with a sheepish grin.

It was then the four heard the sounds of combat coming from the palace, and Ryuji and Ren glanced at each other. "Welp looks like it's time for the R and R connection to get to work," Ryuji said as he rolled his shoulder.

Ren snorted and said to the pair, "You two stay here. We're going to find Ann and bring her back. If anything happens, you guys bolt. I promise we will explain everything when we come back."

"I sure hope so," Haru murmured. "Because I sincerely feel as if someone spiked my tea…"

"Please, Ren-kun…Ryuji-kun…Be careful," Shiho urged.

"We will," The two said in unison before they ran towards the palace doors.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Palace of Lust (?)  
Theme of Battle: Will Power from Persona 5]**

"Carmen: Incinerate!" Ann shouted.

A pale golden ethereal version of Carmen appeared behind Ann, a sinister smirk on her face as she swung the chain holding the heart-headed shadow to the side.

When Carmen swung the creature, a giant fireball flew from the Heart-headed creature's head and flew towards two Beguiling Girls, setting them ablaze with an otherworldly scream from the pair.

Ann turned around and rolled to the left to avoid being skewered by the Brutal Calvaryman's spear.

She then sent her whip flying around the shadows' head, and with a hard pull, she forced it down to the ground, where she then flipped into the air with a twirl and landed with a stomp on its head, causing it to change into inky black liquid.

She then saw three more Beguiling Girls flying down towards her, which caused her to glare darkly and shouted, "Carmen: Incinerate!"

Carmen reappeared and smirked as her eyes glinted darkly, and with another swing of the creature, a fireball collided with two of the Beguiling Girls, turning them into ash while the third one shot down to the ground with a hard crash.

Behind her, Morgana skidded backward as his sword blocked the spear of the Brutal Cavalryman, his eyes narrowed and sweat dripping down his face.

Morgana pushed the spear away, leaped into the air, and decapitated the shadow, which caused its body to melt into the inky black liquid. He then turned around and saw two Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs soaring towards him. Morgana smirked and shouted, "Zorro: Blow them away!"

Zorro appeared behind and above Morgana and waved his rapier, which caused a green twister to fly towards one of the Crypt-dwelling Pyromaniacs, causing it to be shredded by the intense wind.

Morgana then flipped out his slingshot and fired three times, hitting the second one in the chest before he dashed forward and cleaved it in half.

"Easy peasy," Morgana said as he clapped his hands together before he walked up to Ann and stood beside her as Ann looked down at their last target.

**(Theme of Grim Determination: Thrilling from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth)**

The Beguiling Girl leaned up and shook her head just as Ann gave a dark smirk. "Tell me something…Where is Kamoshida?" Ann asked.

"Kamoshida-sama w-will defeat you, intruder," The Beguiling Girl hissed out.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Ann replied as a sadistic smirk appeared on her face, a thin coating of flames covering her whip.

"Um…Ann…?" Morgana began before Ann suddenly slashed her whip down against the back the Beguiling Girl, which caused her to gasp in agony.

"Where is he?" Ann repeated calmly, a faint tinge of yellow in her usually blue eyes.

"Kamoshida-sama w-will save me and stop you," the Beguiling Girl said, albeit with more fear in her voice.

"Kamoshida is a coward," Ann responded coldly, her eyes beginning to turn a bright yellow, similar to the shadow she was facing down, something Morgana noticed.

"Lady Ann?" Morgana questioned, his voice firmer than before.

"H-He will come and avenge us….I know he will," the Beguiling Girl said.

"Then I'm going to make a wager. I will keep whipping you, and when he comes down, I will stop," Ann taunted before she began to brutally whip the Beguiling Girl, each sickening smack against the shadow causing it to wail in agony.

Morgana watched on, each strike of the whip causing him to flinch as the Beguiling Girl's screams echoed in the large golden chamber.

"Tell me where he is!" Ann screamed as her whip smacked into the downed shadow.

"I surrender, please stop!" the Beguiling Girl cried as Ann held up her whip.

"Surrender? I didn't think anything that follows Kamoshida knew that word," Ann taunted as she slammed her foot against the Beguiling Girl's head and ground her foot against its face. "Now tell me where he is," Ann demanded.

"H-He's at the very top floor in the throne room…P-Please, let me go," the Beguiling Girl said fearfully.

It was then Ann let a dark expression appear on her face. "Sorry, but anyone that works with him deserves death…And unfortunately for you, you're going to be my message." Ann then brought up the whip and struck the Beguiling Girl once again.

Morgana felt a pang of guilt hit his heart as he watched the scene.

The shadows he had encountered were mercilessly trying to kill him but hearing this one screaming like this felt wrong.

Their enemy had surrendered and gave Ann the information she wanted, but Ann kept this sadistic attack up. Before Morgana could stop himself, he rushed to Ann and began to separate her from the Beguiling Girl as he said, "Ann, stop it!"

"Get away from me," Ann shouted as she pushed Morgana to the ground hard.

Morgana looked up and found his heart seized in terror as he looked at the terrifying look of anger on Ann's face, but Morgana quickly rose to his feet and ran in front of the injured Beguiling Girl with his arms spread.

"Morgana…What are you doing?" Ann hissed out angrily.

"This isn't right, Lady Ann," Morgana said. "This shadow has surrendered and told you what you want. Killing her won't solve anything."

"You were just killing shadows moments ago. What's one more to that list?" Ann questioned, her voice taking on a sinister edge.

"Lady Ann…" Morgana said with a horrified tone. "What happened to you? This isn't you at all. You would never do some-"

"I am here to kill that abuser and all that stand with him. If you don't step away from that thing, I will not hesitate in taking you down," Ann warned.

"I-I gave her what she wants. P-Please, don't let her kill me. I-I don't want to die," the Beguiling Girl whimpered out from behind Morgana.

"Ann!" Ryuji and Ren's voiced shouted out from behind, which prompted Ann to turn her head slowly to look at the pair.

Ren and Ryuji slowed down to a stop as the dark glare from Ann gave them pause. They had never seen her face take on such an evil look before.

It was unsettling.

"I am so sick and tired of people getting in my way," Ann barked as she held her whip, embers of flames rising around her as she glared at the duo while Morgana carried the injured shadow and stood next to them.

"Lady Ann has gone mad, you guys," Morgana told the pair. "She forced the shadow to give up where Kamoshida is located by torture and then was going to draw out her death even after she surrendered the info. You guys gotta stop her."

Ren looked down at the shadow in Morgana's arms and said, "Get out of here and heal her as thanks for giving Kamoshida's location."

"H-Heal me?" The shadow whispered weakly.

"Yeah, you earned it for telling us the info. Now get out of here, Morgana," Ren said.

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" Morgana said before he gave them both a nod and ran out of the giant golden doors.

"Ann…I understand you want to take down Kamoshida," Ren began as he took a step forward. "I do as well, but you need to let us h-"

"Do not move!" Ann shouted as Carmen appeared behind her, flames flowing around her violently. "How many times must I repeat myself?! I don't need any help from you or anyone else. I alone will light his funeral pyre, and if I have to put you two down to do it, I will!"

"Ann, you need to listen! Getting all pissed at us won't solve any-" Ryuji's shouting was interrupted by Carmen's eyes glinting before a burst of flames came rushing at the pair.

Ryuji leaped to the left while Ren rolled to the right, and the two darted towards Ann, who began to swing her flame-covered whip above her head, causing a ring of fire to appear before she whipped it towards Ren. "Arsène!" Ren shouted in alarm.

Arsène appeared and covered Ren's body with his wings to block the flame whip before Ann shouted, "Carmen: Incinerate!"

Carmen's eyes glinted again, and three fireballs shot towards Ryuji, who leaped into the air and shouted, "Shock the World: Captain Kidd!"

Captain Kidd appeared in a flash of lightning and sent out several lightning bolts to destroy the flames while Ryuji landed on his Persona's ship and turned to see the furious Ann looked up at him.

"Ann. I need you to calm down! Fighting is not getting us anywhere!" Ryuji shouted.

"Stop telling me to calm down!" She shouted as she swung her flame whip towards Ryuji, which caused Captain Kidd to disappear as Ryuji's chest was hit by the top of the whip, which sent him flying backward through the air and crashing against one of the giant golden doors where he then crashed to the ground

Ann twirled her around and slashed at Arsène's wing twice before she pulled her whip back and landing a hard strike to the wings, which caused Arsène to fade away, leaving Ren alone to see Carmen's eyes glint.

"Carmen!" Ann shouted.

Carmen's eyes glinted, and two more fireballs shot out towards Ren, who rolled to the left to avoid the first one then leaped into the air to prevent the second, but when he landed, he was hit in the face with Ann's whip, which sent him spiraling down to the ground with a hard slam.

* * *

**(Scene Change: Palace of Lust (Outside)  
Theme of Grim Determination: Thrilling from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth]**

"I don't like the sounds that I'm hearing…" Shiho said with worry in her voice as she heard the sounds of combat coming from the castle.

"I'm sure everything is going fine," Haru said with a pat to Shiho's right shoulder, but Shiho shook her head.

"Something is seriously wrong in there," Shiho said.

"Should we go in?" Haru asked after a moment of thought.

"That would make me feel better," Shiho admitted with a small smile.

Haru nodded, and together, the pair walked towards the giant golden doors.

As they did, an anthropomorphic whiskerless cat with a large head and big blue eyes, a yellow bandana, and a utility belt ran out with a small, winged female in a dark blue leotard and brown hair and slammed into them.

"Ow!" The cat yelled as he slammed to the ground. "Why don't you look where you're…?" The cat figure blinked and then shouted, "Those boneheads! They bought you guys in here?! I thought they were going to leave you outside the Metaverse, not bring you in it!"

"D-Did this cat just talk?" Haru asked with a surprised look on her face while Shiho looked faint.

"I'm not a cat! I'm Morgana!" The cat exclaimed.

"But you look like a cat, though…" Haru said with a tilt of her head.

"A very familiar cat…" Shiho said before her eyes widened.

_"Go ahead, Suzui-chan…" Kamoshida goaded. "Give your master its well-deserved kiss."_

_With tears freely flowing from her face, a sobbing Shiho began to lean forward to do the deed, but without warning, the fire alarm began to go off, distract the pair._

_Seconds later, a cat's yell was heard, and a black tuxedo cat with angry blue eyes sprang up from the shadows and collided with his face, causing Kamoshida to shriek in terror as his chair whipped backward._

"You're that cat that was with Ryuji-san and Ann-chan when Ren-kun got hurt…You were the cat that saved me from…" Shiho softly began. Tears began to form in Shiho's eyes as she looked at the now flustered Morgana. Without thinking, she knelt and hugged him as she began to sob. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"I…You're welcome," the being replied as he awkwardly patted her back with one hand. "Ren had a bad feeling about Kamoshida, so he wanted me to watch over you. I had no idea he was going to do that to you."

"Ren-kun…" Shiho murmured.

"He must care about you to have a guardian cat to watch over you," Haru said as she scratched Morgana behind the ear, which caused him to purr in comfort before he shook his head and blushed.

"Hey, hey, hey! Not in the Metaverse," he whined.

It was then Shiho looked in his arms and asked, "Who is this you're carrying?"

"This is a shadow…" Morgana said with a frown.

Shiho looked to the injured shadow and asked, "Are you alright?"

"D-Don't hurt me…" The shadow responded weakly.

"I won't hurt you; I promise," Shiho replied softly, observing the tiny being with a frown. The shadow's leotard was torn in several places, and there was black liquid flowing from the gnarly looking whip makes on her back, and one of her wings was torn in half.

"How barbaric…What happened?" Haru asked.

"Ann started to torture her about the whereabouts of Kamoshida…She surrendered and gave up his location, but Ann still made it a plan to torture her to death," Morgana explained.

Shiho gasped at this and shouted, "T-That can't be! Ann wouldn't do that. She wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Tell that to Ren and Ryuji," Morgana said with a frown. "I know this isn't her fault, but her rage is driving her, and if we continue to let it, bad things could happen."

"S-Surely, it can't be that bad in there," Haru said, but seconds later, they heard the enraged yell of Ann's coming from within the castle, following closely by Ryuji's loud swearing and a body thumping.

"Yeah…I'm sure," Morgana replied dryly.

Shiho felt her shoulders slump as guilt flowed through her veins.

This was all her fault.

If she hadn't let Kamoshida get so far with her, Ann wouldn't be losing herself to this dark side of her.

No, she couldn't let this darkness swallow ann

Not like she had been.

Shiho looked to Morgana and asked, "Is there anything we can do to heal her?"

"I can heal her, but I only have so much energy to do so and no telling if I have to heal the others," Morgana said as he looked back at the door.

"Please do what you can for her," Shiho urged before she stood upright, her eyes locked on the large golden doors, and said, "Because I'm going in there."

"I'm sorry, what?" Haru asked with alarm.

"Um…no way," Morgana said bluntly. "Lady Ann has lost her mind and is fighting Ren and Ryuji. You are putting yourself in a lot of danger if you do it. Besides, both of you aren't even supposed to be here. Do not involve yourself further in this manner, Shiho."

"And you tried before, and it didn't work," Haru noted.

"That doesn't matter," Shiho replied. "Ann is here, hurting Ryuji-kun and Ren-kun because of me. She is enraged because of me, and while I love Ann, she is very stubborn and needs someone that can snap her out of this and that someone is me."

"But how?" Morgana asked her.

"Trust me. I'm the only one that can get through to her," Shiho finished defiantly.

"Well, hell…" Morgana said. "When you put it like that…"

Haru nodded with a smile and said, "Then I suppose we should get to it then."

Shiho smiled, and together, the three rushed into the castle, unaware of the eyes watching them from above.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Palace of Lust (?)  
Theme of Grim Determination: Thrilling from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth]**

"Ok…There has to be some logical explanation for getting our asses kicked like this," Ryuji grumbled out as he stepped beside Ren and helped him to his feet as Captain Kidd floated in front of them to shield the pair.

"No idea, but it's very tiring," Ren noted before he shut his eyes and asked, _' Arsène, would you like to weigh in on this strange occurrence?'_

_"Her Arcana has reversed,"_ Arsène replied, which caused him to blink in surprise.

_' Arcana, What is that, and why did it become reversed?'_ Ren asked.

_"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed..."_ Arsène began. _"It can tell a lot about your past, present, and future. For Persona, we follow the main twenty-two Arcana. Hell, everyone in life follows it. It can give you power if you can harness it correctly, but in her case, she's harnessing dangerous power that can overwhelm and destroy her soul,"_ Arsène explained.

_'Okay, how?'_ Ren asked.

_"An Arcana can become dark and twisted when the owner the core of their Arcana is weakened,"_ Arsène explained. _"She's the Lovers Arcana. In tarot readings, the Lovers Arcana can mean a few things. One, it can represent two paths that life could lead when at a crossroads. Two, It can be a symbol of love and a romantic relationship. And Three, it can be a symbol of finding agreement with an ordinary friend or even two conflicting elements within."_

_' So her Arcana is meant to be unity…And if it's reversed, it means something is splitting her apart…But what?'_ Ren asked with narrowed eyes.

_"I'm a Persona, not a therapist,"_ Arsène replied dryly.

_'Can it be reverted, smartass?'_ Ren asked.

_"If you can change it back quickly enough, you will be fine, but if not, her persona could turn against her and kill her with its power…"_ Arsène replied darkly.

"Okay…I think I have a good idea how we can fix this if she lets us," Ren told Ryuji with a slight smirk.

"You lead, I'll follow," Ryuji replied.

"Ann!" Shiho's voice shouted from behind them, which caused the pair to look back in alarm at the trio.

"What the hell? You guys should be out there, not in the danger zone!" Ryuji shouted.

"This is not a good time to be in here," Ren followed up as the trio ran to them.

"I told them the same thing," Morgana said before he looked at Shiho, who kept her eyes locked on Ann's figure, standing in the middle of an inferno with piercing glowing yellow eyes. "But she fought against it."

"Shiho you-" Ryuji began, but Shiho held up her hand to him.

"I got this," Shiho said as she began to walk forward towards Ann, but Ryuji grabbed her forearm, which caused her to look back in alarm.

"Are you crazy right now? Ann has been wrecking our shit for a bit. It's far too dangero-" Haru placed a tender arm to Ryuji's forearm, which caused him to look at her in confusion.

"She knows what she's doing," Haru told him softly. "Let her do it."

Ryuji stared at her for a moment before he released Shiho's forearm and said, "If shit goes wrong, we jump in."

"Thank you, Ryuji-kun," Shiho told him before she looked to Ren, who looked concerned.

"She's out of wack due to being conflicted about something. If you can resolve what is doing this to her, she'll return to normal," Ren told her. "Good luck and be careful."

Ren gave a supportive smile, which made her smile before she looked at Ann and took a breath, and began to advance.

* * *

**(Theme of Tenderness: Tender Feelings from Persona 3: Portable)**

Shiho could feel the heat of the flames as she approached the inferno of Ann, who looked downright murderous at the sight of her. "They let you in here?!" Ann roared, the flames rising until they were near white with heat.

"I forced them to let me," Shiho responded softly.

"You shouldn't be here," Ann hissed. "Get to safety right now."

"I won't leave until you calm down and come with me," Shiho said before she took a step forward towards the flames.

"Stop!" Ann demanded.

"Why? If these are your flames, they won't hurt me," Shiho calmly said as she took another step forward, but the flames rose.

"Get out of here! I don't want you to get hurt!" Ann screamed, but Shiho merely smiles as she got closer to the flames.

"Not until you calm down and talk to me, and if walking through these flames will do it, then I will!" Shiho exclaimed over the sound of the inferno that circled Ann's body.

Shiho could see the conflicted look on her face before she shook her head.

"I…I Can't!" Ann exclaimed. "I can't let you talk me out of this Shiho!" Ann screamed. "I will kill Kamoshida for what he did to you, no matter what you say! He deserves death for what he did to you! Only I can kill him! No one else!"

Shiho's eyes softened as a sad smile formed on her face. "So killing him means so much more than being with me? With our friends?" Shiho asked.

She could see Ann flinch from the question. "I-It's…It's not like that…I'm doing this to avenge you…" Ann said, her voice taking on a soft tone.

"Avenge me? I didn't die, did I?" Shiho asked. "Thanks to Morgana, he didn't rape me. He hurt me and used me, but he didn't take me…I'm still here despite it, yet you aren't! This isn't the Ann I know and love. My Ann wouldn't have lashed out and fought her friends and acted so sadistically to her enemies! My Ann wouldn't be drowning in the same darkness she saved me from!"

Shiho could see that her words were getting to Ann, but there was still some resistance. With a deep breath, she continued with, "You said that I'm worth killing him in the street, but you forget this friendship is a two-way street. I won't let you fall into the dark as I had on the roof…"

Shiho lifted her hand out towards Ann, the flames barely touching her fingertips. "You saved me from making a huge mistake today…Let me do the same. Because while I'm worth killing for in your eyes, you are worth saving in mine."

With those words, Ann let out a scream as pale gold wisps of energy exploded from her body before turning into an ethereal blue color as Carmen's ethereal color changed from pale gold to blue before she vanished.

Ann fell to her knees as the flames died down until it revealed the scorched ground beneath them, her pale golden eyes returning to the familiar blue ones. Shiho ran over to Ann and skidded into a kneeling position in front of her.

"You just had to come," Ann said softly. "I could have done it if you and the others just stayed away…I could have killed him…But you had to keep talking…"

"You knew I would," Shiho whispered as she placed her forehead against Ann's masked one as the blonde shut her eyes.

"I just want wanted to see him die so badly, but you…You're heartbroken face kept appearing in my head," Ann whispered as she lowered her head while Shiho took Ann's hands into her own. "But it was because I caused it, not him…It burned me up inside…That I caused that face…On top of everything I did to put you on that roof, I caused you to look that way. I'm no better than he is…"

"That's bullshit, and you know it," Shiho told her firmly. "You didn't take advantage of people because of your status as a teacher and an Olympic hero. You didn't molest children that didn't know any better. You are a victim as much as I am…"

Shiho placed her hands on Ann's cheeks and lifted her head to make the blonde look at her. "On the roof, you told me that you felt that this was your fault, but not once did I ever blame you. I can't. You saved me so many times from the darkness in my heart and even tried to protect my dreams by doing the very same thing I was doing to protect you."

Shiho could see tears fall from Ann's eyes, and she wiped them away and smiled at her. "Don't ever compare yourself to Kamoshida. Promise me that," Shiho told her softly.

"I promise," Ann replied before the two embraced in a tight hug.

* * *

Ren and Morgana looked at each other with a smile while Ryuji and Haru sighed in relief. "Well, thank God for that. I sincerely thought we were going to burn," Ryuji said as he nudged Haru, who looked back at him with a small smile.

"I didn't think the great delinquent was so afraid of a girl with control of fire," Haru teased.

Ryuji snorted and said, "She was scary while pissed, Haru-san."

"It is amazing how she was able to stop her," Ren said as he crossed his arms at sight, his smile widening. "The power of friendship is strong with those two."

"Is it wrong I thought they were going to kiss?" Haru thoughtfully asked as she tilted her head, which caused Ren, Ryuji, and Morgana to turn to her in surprise, which made her smile innocently. "Well, I thought they were," she added.

"That…never crossed my mind, but now that it did," Ryuji rubbed his hands with a perverted smirk.

Morgana then remembered the shadow in his arms and said, "Oh no, I forgot to heal you! Zorro!"

Morgana's persona appeared before him and pointed his rapier down at the Beguiling girl, and soon, her wounds healed, leaving her floating in the air.

"Y-You healed me?" The girl said as she floated around him. "I tried to kill you, and yet you healed me? Why?"

"You gave us the information, and besides, Ren wanted me to," Morgana said, motioning to Ren.

The Beguiling girl smiled and hugged Morgana with a brief "Thank you so much," before she flew to Ren and said, "And thank you for telling him to heal me. You didn't have to do something like that."

"Depending on the circumstances, I'm a "live and let live" type of guy. Besides, what happened to you shouldn't have happened," Ren replied.

"What a gentleman…You and him," The Beguiling girl stated before the red energy around her suddenly became bright pink. "…I remember something…I don't belong to Kamoshida-sama…No, I drift within the sea of the human heart…" she murmured as the pink light changed into a radiant white. "You both helped me remember! I'm not a knight of Kamoshida. My name is Pixie!"

"This is new," Morgana said.

"What's going on?" Ryuji and Haru said in unison.

"And for being so kind and healing me, I shall heal you anytime you need it, so from now on, I'll live within your heart!" Pixie said before her form became brighter until a domino mask similar to Ren's appeared in the air before it slammed into Ren's face, causing the familiar cobalt blue flames to cover his face until it was gone.

"What was that?" Ryuji said with a blink.

"I-I don't know…" Ren said.

_"Wow, it's pretty spacious in here,"_ Pixie's voice said within Ren's head, which made him blink in surprise. _"Hopefully, it won't be too lonely…I'll be here whenever you need me, host,"_ Pixie said to Ren before Ren looked at the pair and grinned.

"I don't know what happened but hell; I'll take it. Come on, let's get to Shiho and Ann," Ren told the trio, but just as he took a step forward, A bikini-wearing Ann landed before him

**(Theme of Surprise Attack: Shadow from Persona 3)**

"Hi!" The Ann said as she gave Ren a wink before she slammed her palm against his chest, which sent him sailing backward.

"Ren!" Ryuji shouted as he rose to his feet, but before he could do anything, the clone of Ann appeared before him and slammed her forehead against his before she kicked him in the chest and Morgana hard, which sent them both sailing backward beside the downed Ren.

The Ann clone turned to Haru and said, "Wow, you look gorgeous, A perfect fit for Kamoshida-sama's harem."

"Sorry, he's not my type," Haru said before she tried to turn and run only for three knights to appear and a black flash of light, which halted her movement.

Haru screamed in alarm.

* * *

At Haru's scream, both Shiho and Ann turned to see what was going on, but as the two rose up, Ann was kicked hard in the back by a bikini-wearing Shiho, which sent her skidding against the ground.

Ann flipped to her feet and cracked her whip only for the Shiho clone to grab Shiho's neck and held Shiho in front of her with a sickening smirk on her face.

"Let her go, or you die!" Ann screamed.

"You'll have to kill her to kill me," Bikini Shiho said. "Unfortunately, you won't because Kamoshida-sama demands her presence," She before the two vanished in a black flash, with Shiho barely getting out a terrified scream before she disappeared.

"Shiho!" Ann screamed in horror, but that horror grew when two knights appeared moments later in front of her.

* * *

"And that's our cue," Bikini Ann said as she grabbed Haru and looked to the three knights and said, "Per orders of my hunky Kamoshida-sama, kill them," before she disappeared in a black flash, leaving the knights to look towards the three Persona users.

"Of fucking course…" Ren growled out as he leaned up.

This was going to be a long night.


	10. Roar of the Lioness

**[Opening Scene: Palace of Lust (The Love Room)  
Theme of Immediate Danger: Disintegration from Persona 5]**

"Let us go!" Haru yelled as she struggled against her bindings, a pair of pink silk rope as she laid beside an unconscious Shiho, similarly bound as the pair laid on a heart-shaped bed above the covers.

Haru pulled against her bindings before she shut her eyes in despair. **"No matter where you are, you are always restrained, Haru-Hime,"** A voice said, which caused Haru's eyes to snap open only to see herself with eerily glowing yellow eyes looking down at her with pity.

"It's you…" Haru murmured with a frown on her face.

 **"Who else would I be?"** her shadow taunted as she caressed Haru's face.

Haru moved her head away from the shadow's touch and said,, "Why are you here? You're usually in my head mocking me…"

 **"We are were in a place where I can come and go freely, although still attached to you,"** Shadow-Haru said. **"First your father, then your loving and devoted fiancé Sugimura, and now by Kamoshida...It's sad how easily you can be shackled by someone."**

"Stop mentioning that slime! He's not my fiancé!" Haru snapped angrily. "He will never be my fiancé. He's just someone my father wants to sell me to!"

 **"And yet you still allow it to happen. Where is your backbone?"** Shadow-Haru questioned.

Haru opened her mouth, but then she closed it and looked away.

 **"You want to be free to follow your destiny, find your true love, and yet you allow your father to pimp you out to someone you don't care for. Don't you care?"** Shadow-Haru asked as she turned Haru's face to look at her.

"I care!" Haru yelled. "But he is my father. I must abide by his word. And even I could; there is no changing his mind."

 **"And that is why you will always be enslaved…"** Shadow-Haru said before she pressed a kiss onto Haru's forehead and said, **"When you're ready to be free from the chains that bind you, I will be waiting for you Haru-Hime…"**

The shadow faded just as Shiho began to stir beside her. "Wha…Haru-san? What happened? Where are we?" Shiho asked curiously.

"Welcome back," Haru softly said. "They knocked us out the moment we were kidnapped. We're currently in a bedroom of sorts. Pretty tacky if you ask me."

Shiho began to pull at her bindings and frowned. "This stuff is burdensome…" Shiho murmured with a slight whine.

"I know, I've been struggling since I woke up some time ago," Haru muttered.

"I heard you speaking with someone…Where are they?" Shiho asked.

Haru blinked and said, "I was talking to myself…"

"I see…Well, now that we both are awake, maybe we can get each other out of these bindings?" Shiho suggested with a small smile.

Haru nodded and said, "Here, let's get you free first…Turn around."

Shiho squirmed and rolled over to her right to face Haru, who began to tug at Shiho's binding. "I should be honest…I was awake for a while," Shiho admitted softly.

Haru paused before she continued with her movements as she said, "I see…so you saw her."

"Yeah…It's funny. I thought I was alone," Shiho told her.

Haru looked up at Shiho in surprise. "W-What?" Haru stammered out.

"I thought I was alone having a replica of myself talk down to me…With those glowing yellow eyes. She was the one that pulled me off the roof," Shiho said. "Ever since I was little, she's been around. Lurking within the darkness that I have inside of me…"

"Shiho-san…" Haru murmured.

"It's hard to drown her out, isn't it?" Shiho asked.

"Yeah…" Haru replied. "But it scares me because I know she's right…But what can I do?"

Before Shiho could answer, Haru said, "I did it."

Shiho pulled her hands free from the silk rope and immediately undid the bindings on her feet before quickly working on Haru's bindings, and soon, the two were free.

The two hugged briefly in excitement before they each got out of the bed, but the minute they did, King Kamoshida and the bikini-clad Ann and Shiho cognitions walked into the room.

"Oh no," Shiho murmured as fear struck her heart.

Seeing this, Haru stepped in front of her as King Kamoshida began to laugh. "Well, well, well. Two princesses were trying to escape my grasp."

"Escape his grasp. How stupid," The Bikini-clad Ann cognition said as the Shiho cognition giggled.

"Let us go, Kamoshida," Haru said with narrowed eyes.

"No, I don't think I will," King Kamoshida replied. "You two have been chosen as my newest concubines. If not, you both will be executed."

"I will never be your concubine," Haru said. "And I am very sure Shiho will never allow herself to be touched by you ever again."

"You are very unwise to believe that. I have already taken everything from Shiho. She owes me her body, and I will get it, along with yours," King Kamoshida said.

"A man like you shall never touch her or me, and I'll stake my life on that," Haru darkly said.

"And do you agree back there?" Kamoshida asked.

Shiho was paralyzed by fear as she stared at the man, his glowing yellow eyes glaring, but she felt Haru take her hand and glanced down briefly and nodded her head, not trusting her voice.

"She nods, but I can taste the fear in her," King Kamoshida said with a lick of his lips. "But I'm sure having someone as brave as you around is giving her strength. Something I can amend."

King Kamoshida then looked to the Shiho cognition, who nodded and skipped up to Haru and gave her a sweet smile before landing a solid blow to Haru's stomach, which caused her to bowl over in pain.

"Haru-san!" Shiho cried as the cognition grabbed Haru by the neck and tossed her to the left, where Haru collided with a wall. "Leave her alone!" Shiho shouted as she ran forward to the downed Haru, only for the Ann Cognition to appear before her.

"D-Don't do it…I'm fine," Haru said as she struggled to get onto her feet, but the Shiho cognition walked up to the downed Haru and landed a hard kick to Haru's chest, causing Haru to gasp in pain.

"Stop it!" Shiho shouted as the Shiho cognition landed a hard punch to Haru's face, sending Haru down to the ground.

"Then submit to me," King Kamoshida ordered. "Submit your body to me, and I will stop her pain. Submit like you always do."

"I-I," Shiho stammered before everything froze in place.

Behind King Kamoshida's frozen form, Shiho's shadow was leaning against the wall, her eyes staring at Shiho's shocked form with her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with anger.

* * *

**[Scene Change: Palace of Lust (Great Chamber)  
Theme of Battle: The Great Sign from Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux]**

Ren skidded backward on the heels of his feet as the Brutal Calvaryman's spear collided with his knife. "Arsène!" Ren shouted, which caused Arsène to appear and kicked the armored shadow in the head, which caused him to skid back.

Ren then leaped into the air, and with a swing of his arm, he decapitated the shadow before he landed on Captain Kidd's ship beside Ryuji.

"Ahoy Ren-Ren," Ryuji shouted. "Shock the world: Captain Kidd!" Captain Kidd let out a yell as he fired several bolts of lightning towards the group of Brutal Cavalrymen, but they held steadfast against the electricity.

"Damn. These guys are resilient!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Lightning must not do the trick," Ren said. "Well, let's see if Darkness does! Arsène: Ravage them!" Arsène appeared beside Ren and sent out a burst of dark energy towards one of the Brutal Cavalryman, and while it was defeated, Ren knew it had resisted it until its bitter end.

 _"Ice is their weakness, similar to mine,"_ Pixie said within his head.

 _'Great. And we don't have an ice user within the group, but thanks for the knowledge, Pixie,'_ Ren thought back.

"We have to keep hammering at them," Ren said. "They have a weakness, but we don't have it."

"Boy, that's nice to know!" Ryuji shouted before he leaped down from Captain Kidd's ship and landed a knee strike at the head of a Brutal Cavalryman that was trying to sneak up on Ann, sending it down to the ground.

Ryuji landed with a roll behind Ann, blocked a spear from another Cavalryman, and said to Ann, "You nearly got attacked twice. You gotta be careful!"

"I've been dealing with a lot, so I'm sorry for not paying attention!" Ann responded as she whipped a Cavalryman in the head before she leaped up and kneed it in the head before wrapping her legs around the head and twisting her body sharply, breaking its neck and causing it to melt away.

She landed on the ground and avoided three lunging strikes from another Cavalryman.

Seeing this, Morgana jumped up on her shoulder and kicked off of it and stabbed the Cavalryman in the middle of its eyes, causing it to melt as well.

Morgana landed on the ground and sliced off the right leg of the Calvaryman's horse, causing it to let out a demonic neigh and fall to its nub before Ann wrapped her whip around the Cavalryman's head and tugged it forward sharply, breaking its neck as well.

Ryuji rolled to the left to avoid a lunge from the Calvaryman's spear and swung his pipe at the horse's left leg, hobbling it down to three legs before Ren landed behind it slashed at its right hind leg, making it do the splits.

"Batter up!" Ryuji yelled as he swung his pipe against the Cavalryman's head, making its head whip back right into Ren's knife, causing it to melt into an inky black fluid.

**(Theme of Palace: King, Queen and Slave from Persona 5)**

"Holy shit," Ryuji sighed out as he leaned forward on his knees and panted heavily. "Between getting our asses kicked by Ann and fighting these guys, I'm almost afraid to see how tough saving Shiho and Haru will be."

"You're telling me," Ren replied as he held his side in pain. "That was brutal."

"We need to get moving," Ann said as she walked to the pair. "Shiho and Haru need to be rescued."

"Calm down there, Wonder Woman," Ryuji said as he stood upright again. "We need a slight breather."

"We don't have time for a "slight breather," Ryuji. There's no telling what that monster is doing to her up there," Ann argued.

"Ann," Ren said, his voice taking on an annoyed tone. "You act as if we're asking to go home and leave them in his hands. We just need a break."

"We don't have time fo-" Ann began

"Shut up!" Ryuji shouted furiously, which caused Ann and Ren to look at him with surprise.

"I've had it up to here with you!" Ryuji yelled as he put his hand above his head. "We want to save Shiho and Haru as well, but if you hadn't rushed here like a fucking moron, they wouldn't be in danger! They wouldn't know about the castle, and we would all still be at Haru's resting. Instead, you pushed the issue, fought against us instead of calming down and talking it out and causing them to be captured. It's your fault we're wading in shit, so the least you can do is allow us to breathe before we move forward and continue to fight to make up for your fuck up!"

Ryuji panted roughly, his face beat red and his eyes shining in anger while Ann looked visibly upset.

"You're right…" Ann whispered as she looked down to the ground. "I'm sorry, guys. It's just Shiho means a lot to me and what happened to her pushed me past my threshold for bullshit. I screwed up, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did," Ryuji replied, his voice now softer. "But you're human. Someone you care about was hurt and is now in the hands of the one who injured them. I get it, but you can't go off the handle like that."

"Ryuji's right. We're all a team dealing with this. We need to work together to stop Kamoshida, not rush in with a hotheaded. Pardon the pun," Ren added. "So in the future, talk to us if that urge happens again, and we'll deal with it, and in turn, we'll do the same."

"Besides Ann, I'm supposed to be the fuck up, not you," Ryuji added with a grin.

Ann nodded and let a small smile appear on her face.

"Okay, sappy team time over," Morgana said. "We have work to do, so let's do it!"

 _'Pixie, any idea where Shiho and Haru could be located?'_ Ren asked the persona within his mind.

_"There is only one place Kamoshida would put them. The Love Room," Pixie replied. "It is located in the West Building on the 1st Floor."_

"Alright, I know where they are. Let's move," Ren told them.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Palace of Lust (The Love Room)  
Theme of Unknown: The Voice of Someone Calls from Persona 3]**

**"Well, here we are again,"** Shadow-Shiho stated as she pushed herself off the wall and walked past King Kamoshida, and stood in front of Shiho. **"So are you going to do it? Sacrifice yourself to stop her pain?"**

"It's the only way to save Haru-san," Shiho said. "She didn't have to stick up for me, and now she's hurting. It's all my fault!"

 **"You spineless coward!"** Shadow-Shiho exclaimed as she smacked Shiho hard in the face. Shiho looked at her replica in shock.

She had demeaned her many times and tried to make her take her life but never hit her before. **"You were afraid to take your life because of how it would hurt others. You let yourself be used like a common whore when Ann was threatened, and now you're willing to become this dick's concubine AGAIN because of Haru's life being in danger? Why do you think sacrificing yourself is the best choice?!"**

Shiho looked down at the ground and whispered, "I don't know…"

 **"Bullshit,"** Shadow-Shiho said. **"You know exactly why you do this. Because you think people prefer you this way. You think people want this soft, shrinking violet that always needs to sacrifice herself to protect others and to be protected instead of standing up for yourself, no matter how bad things get!"**

"That's not true!" Shiho shouted.

 **"It's not? Then explain why Ren sent Morgana to save you that day. Explain why Ann nearly drowned in her rage. Explain why all of you are in the situation you are in now. Go ahead. I'm waiting,"** Shadow-Shiho said as she tapped her foot.

Shiho couldn't answer.

Shadow-Shiho smirked and replied, **"You know what? It's not your fault you're this way. Your parents are just as responsible for your spineless nature due to being weak themselves. They knew you were going through hell, and they never fought for you. They just let you fall into the abyss of sexual, emotional, and mental abuse, and it's been that way your whole life, hasn't it?"**

 **"Anytime you wanted to do something, they would break your confidence until you folded. Even Volleyball wasn't your original love. Being an artist was, and you let them morph your love into a sport you now can't even watch because of that man! No wonder you can't protect yourself. You never learned how to do that. All you've learned is to fold like a house of cards to everyone you've ever met. Just as they intended,"** The Shadow finished.

Shiho was silent for a moment before she let out a bitter laugh. "Spineless…That's exactly how I've been, huh?"

Shadow-Shiho looked at Shiho with narrowed eyes.

"Kamoshida knew I'd do anything for Ann and used that to bring me into his trap. Instead of fighting it, I allowed him to control me. My parents failed to instill the confidence that I needed to survive something like that. I stayed under his thumb and allowed him to do what he did to me…" Shiho whispered as she looked at her hands.

"And the one time I didn't, he nearly managed to bring me back into it by threatening Ren and Ann, and if not for Morgana-kun, I would have…" Shiho began as she looked at the frozen King.

"But if I had stood up to him when he threatened to sexual abuse Ann-chan at the very beginning, I could have stopped all of this, but instead, I fell to him..." Shiho said, her eyes locked on her trembling hands. "I should have fought him every step of the way, and because I didn't, Ann fell to him, Morgana-kun, Ryuji-kun, and Ren-kun got involved, with Ren-kun nearly dying because of me…"

"All because I didn't stand up for myself…I even tried to take the easy way out and kill myself to be free of it all…And I nearly fell again to protect Haru-chan…" Shiho sullenly whispered.

Shiho then clenched her fist hard enough to break the skin with her nails, causing blood to flow from them. "My parents may not have instilled the confidence and the means to protect myself but no more! I will no longer allow myself to be the victim to those older than me! It's time I stop surrendering and letting others protect me and begin to protect and fight for myself and what I want!"

 **"Yes…"** Shadow-Shiho said as her eyes began to glow brighter.

**(Theme of Awakening: Awakening from Persona 5)**

The world began to move, and Shiho found herself in front of King Kamoshida, who had his hand reaching out to her face. She immediately punched the king in his face, a burst of blue energy exploding from her body.

King Kamoshida crashed to the ground as Shiho shouted, "I refuse!" her eyes glowing a fierce yellow before a pulse of pain went through her body.

 **"It's about time we agreed on something. I was getting worried that you would never wake up,"** A harsh, hotheaded voice said from within her head as King Kamoshida scrambled to his feet in shock.

Shiho began to stumble backward as the pain flowed through her body, alarmed screams of pain leaving her lips.

 **"You've spent so long playing the sacrificial damsel in distress that you were unable to see the true lioness inside of you!"** The voice yelled King Kamoshida took a step backward as the Shiho and Ann cognitions stepped back as well.

"No…Not again," King Kamoshida whispered fearfully as the Shiho and Ann cognitions quickly stepped in front of him.

 **"And it's time for all of those that have demeaned and abused us to see it too! So says the inner typhoon that rages in your heart!"** Haru watched from the ground as Shiho hunched forward with her hands on her head before they went limp at her side before Haru noticed a smirk appear on Shiho's face.

 **"I am thou; thou art I…It is time to forge the pact!"** Shiho leaned back sharply and let out a scream as a "V" shaped ocean blue glass mask that covered her face with a circlet with horns on each side of the mask appeared on her face. **"And unleash the raging lion that lies within the sea of their sins!"**

Shiho smirked and said, "I think I like the sound of that Boudicca!" before she gripped the edge of her mask and ripped it off, causing blood to fly into the air as a wave of cobalt blue flames engulfed her body.

The cobalt flames soon parted, and Shiho stood, her outfit changed.

Shiho now wore a black high-neck long-sleeved armor short dress with ocean-blue accents and matching boots with the ocean-blue accents on different sides as the right boot was thigh-high in length and her left boot was ankle length.

Behind Shiho was a humanoid silver metallic woman with blazing braided red hair with glowing green eyes, bright Celtic tattoos on her face, chest, and shoulders.

The humanoid wore a tattered sleeveless ocean blue knee-length tartan dress with leather armor beneath it, a large leather garter belt around her waist with a sword holster attached, leather bracers, and leather armbands on each arm, leather grieves and leather boots on each leg, and foot.

Both Shiho and the woman held a shield strapped to their left arms and a spear in their right hands.

Shiho turned and silently walked to Haru, knelt before her, and asked, "Are you alright?"

Haru's cheeks heated up faintly as she replied, "I am well…But what happened to you?"

"I do not know, but I think I like it," Shiho replied before she helped Shiho to her feet and looked to the King of the palace, who shook behind the Shiho and Ann cognitions, who both seemed slightly nervous.

"I will protect you, Haru-chan. Just stay back," Shiho told Haru before she stepped forward and pointed her spear to King Kamoshida and said, "You have sinned for far too long, Kamoshida, and now, I will drown you in them. Not just for me, but for everyone you've hurt!" Shiho yelled as she twirled a spear.

"Get King Kamoshida out of here," The Shiho cognition told the Ann cognition, who nodded and grabbed the King before vanishing in a crimson red mist.

**(Theme of Awakening Battle: Will Power from Persona 5)**

"I shall be your opponent and protect my stud muffin!" With that yell, the Shiho cognition changed into a sizeable purple demon with yellow gloves and boots sitting on a toilet appeared in her place.

 **"I'll make you submit to our King!"** The Ambassador of Filth shouted.

"I'd like to see you try," Shiho murmured before the mask appeared on her face once more as she held up her shield.

The Ambassador of filth let out a roar and launched several shards of ice towards Shiho, who quickly ran forward and swayed side to side to avoid each shard of ice that came her way.

Shiho twirled her spear, then leaped into the air and shouted, "Boudicca: Aqua!" Boudicca appeared behind Shiho and spun her spear before thrusting it into the air, causing an orb of water to form around the Ambassador of Filth before exploding, causing the creature to slump.

Shiho let out a scream as she twirled her body and launched the spear at the Ambassador of Filth and pierced its chest with her spear, shaking it out from its slump only for it to wail in pain.

Shiho landed on the ground and summoned the spear back into her hands before using her shield to block a particular large shard of ice, which exploded upon impact.

Shiho shouted! "Boudicca!"

Boudicca appeared behind Shiho and lunged its spear straight at the Ambassador's chest, which caused it to seize up in pain.

Just then, Ann, Ryuji, Morgana, and Ren entered the room with sweat dripping down their faces and saw the sight of Shiho in her new outfit.

"What the hell?" Ryuji murmured.

"This is new to me too," Ren said.

Shiho turned around and grinned broadly at the other shadow users and asked, "What took you guys so long?"

"Shiho?" Ann asked with surprise in her voice.

 **"Great, more of you cretins to hurt my stud muffin…No matter… I will defeat you all,"** the Ambassador of Filth said weakly, its eyes struggling to stay open.

"I think I got this thing beat, so let's finish it off, yeah?" Shiho exclaimed as she dug her feet into the ground and launched herself back at the shadow, her spear stabbing into the shadow's chest twice before the shadow swung its arm to strike her.

Shiho ducked the arm and slashed up its chest towards its neck before she jumped backward from it and shouted, "Boudicca: Drown her!"

The persona smirked, and water began to flow from the spear and form an orb around the shadow before it exploded, which caused the shadow to slump in pain once again, looking stunned from the pain.

"D-Did she just stun it?!" Ryuji asked.

"On her own?!" Morgana followed up.

"She did. Now let's go help!" Ren shouted before the foursome ran over to Shiho, who stood in front of Haru.

"Nice job Shiho," Ren said as he nodded to her.

Shiho nodded back before she said, "We need to capitalize on this down creature!"

"Yeah, let's!" Ren shouted before the five smirked and dashed towards the creature, and with speed, each member sliced, stabbed, whipped, and smashed the creature before Shiho jumped into the air and finished it off with a stab through its forehead.

 **"K-King Kamoshida! Help m-me!"** The shadow begged.

"Sorry, but he can't help you now!" Shiho shouted pushed herself through it further before she came out the other side of its head, where she landed with a skid, stabbed her spear to the ground, and spun theatrically around the polearm before she gave a thumbs-up and said, "Game, Set, Match!"

 **"King Kamoshida!"** The shadow yelled in agony before it exploded into the familiar inky black substance.

* * *

**(Theme of After the Battle: Battle Result from Persona 2: Eternal Punishment)**

Shiho leaned forward and panted heavily, and said, "What a workout," before Ann slammed into her with a tight hug and an excited laugh. Morgana joined in the hug with a pounce, which caused Shiho to squeal as she fell to the ground.

"G-Guys!" Shiho shrieked happily. "I'm okay!

Meanwhile, Ren and Ryuji walked to Haru and asked, "You alright?"

"Just fine…Exhausted. Confused and well confused, but I'm okay," Haru replied with a slight grin. "But I would like the full story of this immediately when my head is on straight. Okay?"

Ryuji grinned and replied, "Consider it done. Now excuse me." Ryuji ran off and shouted, "Dogpile on Shiho!"

"Ryuji-kun!" Shiho laughed.

Haru and Ren shared a laugh as they walked up to the group. Ren plopped down in front of the group with Haru sitting beside him as he said, "Well…Nice to see you're a part of the group now. Welcome to the gang."

"Glad to be here," Shiho said with an exhausted smile. "Boy, do I feel wiped out."

"Happened to all of us," Ryuji said. "We should get out of here, Ren-Ren. I could use some sleep." Ryuji put an exclamation point on his words with a loud yawn before scratching his cheek, a sleepy expression on his face.

"Same here," Shiho yawned as well before she leaned her head on Ann's shoulder, her eyes drooping slightly behind her mask.

"Then let's get out of here quickly," Ren yawned out.

"Stop yawning," Haru whined before she yawned as well.

* * *

**[Scene Change – Okumura Residence (Nighttime)  
(Theme of Okumura Residence: Have a Short Rest from Persona 5]**

"Whew! What a night!" Ryuji exclaimed as he plopped down on the bed across the room from Ren's bed, where Ren was already lying down on it.

"We fought Ann, fought some powerful guys, and now Shiho has a persona too. We went from a team of three to a team of five in one night. Six if you count Haru," Ryuji said.

The group was now back at Haru's home, with Haru, Shiho, and Ann immediately retiring for the night, which left Ryuji and Ren in the guest room. Morgana opted to rest in the room with Haru, who agreed wholeheartedly.

"You think Haru could be next?" Ren asked.

"I mean, it seems like everyone who goes in there gets a Persona. Maybe not that day, but it happens," Ryuji said with a yawn.

"I mean that theory does hold some water considering…" Ren said. "We better get some shut-eye…We got a lot of explaining tomorrow while also having school still."

"Holy shit! I forgot about school," Ryuji whined as he shut his eyes. "Boy Ren…What a night."

"What a night indeed," Ren repeated as he shut his eyes as well.

* * *

**[Scene Change – The Velvet Room  
Theme of the Velvet Room– Velvet Room from Persona 2: Innocent Sin]**

"Wake up, inmate!" Caroline exclaimed.

Ren's eyes opened up to reveal himself back at the jail cell, his clothes back in the generic prison attire of white with black stripes with his legs and arms chained up. He stood up and walked to the cells where Caroline and Justine stood.

"Ah, welcome back, inmate," Justine's calm voice said.

"You took far too long! Next time I'll force you in here!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Nice to see you too, my little Tsundere," Ren said with a grin.

Caroline sneered but couldn't stop her blush from appearing. Ren took a step back preemptively before Caroline's electrified baton slammed into the metal bars of his cell, which caused electricity to streak against it. "Do not call me that again!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Awww, I'm sorry, my little firecracker," Ren teased.

"Inmate, must you tease her so much?" Justine asked as Caroline swore up and down a storm across from her with a red face.

"Oh? Feeling left out, my little snow lily?" Ren asked, which caused Justine to blink in surprise, a blush spreading across her face.

"O-Oh…" Justine murmured.

"As much as I approve of this amusing scene," Igor's amused voice began, which prompted Ren to look at the man behind the desk. "I have summoned you here to talk to you."

"Oh, sorry there…So what's the business for today?" Ren asked as he leaned against the cell bars.

"How have you adjusted to this place?" Igor asked.

"Um…Specifying would be nice," Ren said. "Like the cell? My new home at LeBlanc? Shujin Academy?"

"All of the above," Igor chuckled out.

"Um…The cell is neat. Not a fan of chains, but these two adorable kiddos are a pleasure," Ren replied before he took a step back again to allow the blushing Caroline to bash her baton against the cell bars.

"Glad to hear it. It seems your nerves are strong enough to keep your personality intact. Now, what else?" Igor asked.

"The school is…decent. I met some awesome people but mostly trying to stay out of trouble. Well, it was before Kamoshida reared his ugly, big-nosed face into it. No offense to your big nose," Ren said.

"None was taken," Igor chuckled out. "It is nice that you are accommodating to your new surroundings and making new friends."

"Is it?" Ren asked.

"Yes. Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But in the last few days, including today, you have entered a partnership with four others who have awoken to the same power, haven't you?" Igor asked.

"Yes, my creepy lordship," Ren joked with a grin. "I'm not surprised that you found this out, but yeah, I did. Why do you ask?"

"That is the reason I brought you here today. Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships," Igor said.

"Oh damn, I was hoping to engage in some one-night stands…" Ren said with a pout and a snap of his fingers.

"Be serious, inmate!" Caroline said before Ren gave her grin, which caused her to pause and look away, her face still reddened.

Igor chuckled and continued with, "It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bound with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well."

"Personas are the strength of heart. The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your personas will gain," Justine said.

"I see…" Ren said softly.

"There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't. You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side! We'll then change that into power," Caroline exclaimed.

"Oh what? So if I make more friends, I can have more power?" Man, if only Vergil had it this easy," Ren joked.

"Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition," Igor advised with a toothy grin before he chuckled and leaned back into his chair. "So, we have a deal then."

"Such lofty goals for me, Igor…Well hell, why not. We have a deal," Ren said with a grin on his own. It was then he heard a voice in his head…A strangely familiar voice.

"I am **thou** , thou art I…  
Thou hast acquired a **new** vow.

It shall **become** the wings of rebellion  
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the **Fool** Persona,  
I have obtained the winds of blessing that  
shall lead to freedom and new **power…"**

He felt a pulse in his chest before the sounds of chains unsnapping from his mind before this rush of power flowed through his veins, causing a brief burst of ethereal blue flames to shoot from his body.

"Whoa…So that is what that feels like…" Ren said. "Welp, I better get going then!"

"Until we met again, continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation," Igor said with a nod.

"Now this conversation's over! Get lost, you troublesome inmate!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Alright, alright, I can see when I'm not wanted, my little cobalt firecracker. Thanks for the friend-up, Igor. I'll see you later!" Ren said with a grin and quickly shuffled back into his bed to sleep, the sounds of Caroline's sputtering sending him off into a slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sakamoto Ryuji: And that is the end of this chapter. Just here to give a quick note of thanks for reading this and I hope you guys loved the first new Phantom Thief awakening with Suzui Shiho! See you next time.


End file.
